


With Friends Like These

by j4nusfaced



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, but ended up with a brot3, original prompt was for a romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 13:16:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18165677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j4nusfaced/pseuds/j4nusfaced
Summary: Repost from LJ. Original Prompt: Any/Loki, Loki chooses forbidden love over Asgard, to his family’s shock. After the Avengers, it is clear that Loki has matured, impressing Odin, who felt bad about how they parted, who attempts to bring him back in the family and reconciled. Loki still tells him to f-- off. Originally written 2013-2014.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a fic that I posted in response to a prompt at the Norse-kink Livejournal community, and I wrote it around 2013-2014. Given that it's not '19, please consider this fic abandoned, though I have mapped out past what I have so far, up to the first Avengers movie, and thus may SOMEDAY pick it up again. I've reposted this from my original document with minor changes, mostly to remove the <> tags and add some minor tweaks.

The first time that Loki met the human, it was purely by accident. That day, he had been fed up with… practically everyone he knew back in Asgard. First was Thor, with his usual insensitivity in blowing off his brother and the training that they needed to do (out on the street just outside the castle, no less,), then Sif and the warriors three, humiliating Loki further by idly commenting that Thor has better things to do than sit around with spellbooks all day, as if that  _ womanly _ art was the only thing that Loki did. Then came Odin who was, rather than being furious that his son was blowing off his tutors as he would’ve been if it were Loki, proud that his eldest went off for a hunt, and even expecting something grand on the table that night. The last straw that made him storm off was his good intentioned, and dearest mother, Frigga, attempting to soothe her youngest by saying that Thor is just busy, needing to foster favour among the people in order to succeed Odin when the time comes.  _ Yes, mother, of course. _ He had thought even as his mother ran a gentle hand through his hair.  _ Of course brother would need to, when we hardly know when Odin will pass the throne to Thor. And let’s completely nudge at the unspoken fact that ‘oh, by the way Loki, you’ll never be king, or even focused on by your family. It’s all just Thor, Thor, Thor around here. _ Despite his mother’s gentle attempts at placating him, his dark thoughts, which had only grown greater ever since Thor had undergone training for his future kingly duties and left Loki behind, did little to calm his mood. Thus, rather than going off to sulk in his room as the norm, he had cast some invisibility spell on himself and left the realm through one of the pathways he knew, rather than take the Bifrost and run into Thor.

 

He had ended up in Midgard, in a town by the name of Willowdale. A quick glance at the mortals there, and he ducked into an alleyway so that he may both drop the invisibility and cast an illusion over his form. His royal robes were changed for a hoodie and jeans, a bit of a crass combination, but it would do for his cover. The God of Mischief had wandered the town to see if he could live up to his name and amuse himself, quietly observing the people as he passed them by. He saw a great crowd slowly making their way to one of the larger buildings in the town, with many exiting vehicles and chatting amongst themselves. Causing something in a crowd, with maximum impact seemed like the perfect solution to his woes, and thus he followed them down the path and into a large building. There, he could see a banner reading ‘Culver University Open House,’ strung up over the entrance which meant that he could freely wander and get into wherever he wanted. He smiled to himself, and calmly made his way through the halls, looking around as though he was sincerely interested in...whatever was going on and discreetly dropping off a spell here or there, wherever it could cause the most fright and shock.

 

Eventually, he had came across another large dining hall, with humans idling about or lining up at food stalls. There, he saw tables set up and people chatting amongst themselves over displays. He wandered over with the intent of setting up a few flares, when someone had called out to him with a friendly “Good morning. How do you like the university so far?” Loki turned to look, and saw that it was a brown haired man with a boyish grin on his face.

 

Loki frowned slightly at being addressed. He could hardly set off a spell now, being watched and the man awaiting an answer…  _ Then again _ , he thought,  _ he table he’s leaning against is a good spot for the flares to go off from… _ “I find it very… noisy. I’m not entirely certain if I want to come here.” Loki replied calmly, as he stepped up to the table, his hands folded behind his back.

 

The man chuckled, and he leaned against the table. “Yeah… It can be pretty loud, especially in the Student Union building.” He cast a shifty look around, before dropping his voice to a stage whisper. “Between you and me, if you really want to eat somewhere… well, good, around here, there’s a nice cafe, Sunny Stop, just outside the the university.” He smiled a little, and resumed speaking in his normal tone. “So, what are you planning on studying?”

 

A quick glance to one of the various displays around gave him an answer. “...Biochemistry.” Loki replied, as he stepped a bit closer to the table, as though to examine the pamphlets. One hand reached out to pick up one of them, while his other discreetly moved towards the table’s edge.    
  


“Well, then you’re talking to the right person.” The man smiled, and reached out with a hand. The hand that had been reaching for the pamphlet instead took the human’s. A small wave of irritation went through him at the contact. “Bruce Banner; I’m of the professors here for the Biochem departments. I can tell you all about our program here.”

 

“...I’d love to hear about it, if that’s alright with you.” Loki smiled thinly. If he could keep the man talking, then perhaps he could set up his spell in peace. What he didn’t expect though, was for Banner’s face to light up excitedly as he talked about his program. Or the tangents that he would go off on, touching on research in his field, and how some of it crossed over to his  _ other _ favoured topics, such the effect Gamma radiation might have… A lot of it were human terms that passed over his head, but the principles he spoke of… Loki somehow found himself responding, and eventually entering a deep conversation with the man over theoretical physics and other topics, his intended prank forgotten. He had to admit, it was… rare for him to find someone to talk to over topics that didn’t involve bashing monsters over the head with heavy objects, as though there was any particular finesse needed to that. Loki had to catch himself multiple times to avoid using the terms Asgardians had, or launching into discussions over things that humans just did not know about, even if they were related to what they were talking about… He had commented that it was a shame that humanity knew so little, and Banner just grinned with his agreement.

 

It wasn’t until a few other humans cleared their throats, did Loki come out of his talk. A few students had wandered over, and a woman had joined Banner’s side, a look of amusement on her face. “I hate to interrupt the talk, Bruce, but we are here to do something other than deeper sciencey work today.” The man had the grace to look sheepish, and nod.

 

“Sorry, Betty. Got a bit carried away.” He turned to look at Loki, and held out one of his pamphlets. “Well, I hope that you join our program, Mr… ah...”

 

Loki only took a moment to come up with a name as he took the pamphlet. “Owenson. Luke Owenson. Thank you for the talk, Mr. Banner.” He gave another smile to the man. “I hope to speak to you again on what we discussed.”

 

“Of course.” Banner grinned, as he took out a card from his pocket. “Here, my contact information. And I’m at that cafe most days for lunch. You’re welcome to join me.” Loki took the card, and the human looked over to the prospective students. “Ah… probably should get back to it. Well, it was nice talking to you, Luke, and I hope to see you in my classroom one day.”

 

“Perhaps. Until then, Farewell.” Loki replied, though he knew that there was little reason for him to enter a Midgardian institution. He turned on his heel, and stepped away from the table, a small smile pulling to his lips, glad that he had at least found someone to talk to over matters of the mind.

 

It wasn’t until a bunch of surprised shrieks echoed through the hallways did he even remember why he came to Midgard in the first place. As others went off to find out what had happened, Loki started to make his way home, making sure to find where this Sunny Stop was before he left.


	2. Chapter 2

From then on, whenever his brother brushed him off and he was left to his own devices (which admittedly was almost everyday) Loki would find himself in Midgard, going for lunch in that cafe that Banner told him about. The first time he went, he had only told himself that he would finish the trick he had planned for the man. They instead spent an hour and a half talking about the university, Banner’s field of studies, his girlfriend, and their hobbies. They only stopped because the professor was late for his next class. From then on, he would go at least once every three days to greet the man, and sometimes his girlfriend, and they would settle down for a discussion over sandwiches or soup. Loki told him that he had instead gone for a physics major, and Banner approved, unaware of the lie. Whenever Betty joined them, which was frequent, Loki didn’t mind the displays of affection the two had, as long as it didn’t interfere with their conversations; Oftentimes, she would quip up with her own insightful comments. After a while, he found that he could easily let them have their affection while he focused on his food or something outside. The three day gap became two, then they were sitting there at Sunny Stop every day.

 

Once, he had asked Betty, when Bruce went to use the washroom, if she minded his presence during their lunches. Betty had simply smiled and shook her head, explaining that he was their good friend, and that the lunches wouldn't be the same without him. Then, she asked him if he had anyone in his life, and smiled sympathetically when he replied in the negative though he did assure her that he had no interest in relationships before launching into another discussion over experimental physics. Bruce had been miffed that they had started without him.

 

Another time, the conversation had run late, a common occurrence, and Bruce swore, a much less common occurrence. “We probably shouldn’t talk anymore, Luke.” He had joked, though Loki felt slightly crestfallen at the words, as he quickly shoved the rest of his pasta in his mouth. “We end later every day. My students are starting to wonder what Betty and I get up to.” Betty blushed, and Loki had laughed in relief. They were not, he was not, aware of how much their friendship meant to him.

 

Before long, he found that they  _ expected _ him whenever they arrived at the cafe. They welcomed him, and worried whenever he simply didn’t show up. Once, Thor had finally managed to drag him along for a hunt and he had been humiliated by Sif when she had ‘accidentally’ gave him a black eye, attempting to pass it off as him simply being in the way of her attack. Whereas in Asgard, his father had stated that he should've been careful and Thor defending Sif's actions; Frigga commented it could be good magical practice, and he had gone to bed in a sulk. On Midgard, however, Bruce and Betty showed great concern for him when he showed up the next day, apologizing for missing the previous lunch. When he passed it off as an accident by one of his brother’s friends, they worried whether or not that was true. Though he laughed it off, insisting that he was hardly a soft child, their concern was surprising and... welcome. 

 

After a year… He stopped one day and realized that he was the one ignoring Thor and even brushing off his brother on the rare occasions that he attempted to include his younger brother, in favour of his conversations with Banner and Betty. Sixteen months after he first met his friends, Thor had attempted to take Loki along for another hunt, as an attempt to make up for what Sif did. When Loki declined, Thor instead changed tactics, claiming that they hardly did anything together. He had a snide remark for his brother then (“I wonder whose fault that would be?”) that chased him away with a wounded pride and earned the Trickster a glare from the Thunder God’s friends. It was only when he thought about it, he realized that he was as much to blame as Thor was. Still, his pride didn't allow him to apologize, and he went off to meet his friends once more.

 

The years passed quietly, with Loki coming up with a fanciful story of having to transfer to another university to study at to excuse the fact he would never graduate from Culver. He learned a great deal about Midgard and its various cultures from his conversations, and whenever he wasn’t conversing with Bruce and Betty, he was anywhere on the realm, learning more about it and collecting souvenirs. He found a source of income by investing in stocks and small companies, then carefully manipulating people for his investments to become profitable; not too much to get noticed, even with a bunch of dummy identities, but enough to get by on. The conversations moved out of the cafe when it closed down and onto cell phones and the internet, and the topics only expanded from sciences to their personal lives. Loki admitted how he felt his family didn’t care much for him, Betty confided that she found her father too strict on her relationship but she loved him the same, and Bruce once went ring shopping with Loki, though he eventually lost nerve to his friend’s amusement. 

 

He would sympathize with them during exam periods, or whenever they had to stay up late to mark student work. Sometimes, he would even help them, or simply bring them treats to their apartment to help them stay awake. He found himself renting a small cottage just outside of Willowdale just to have them over, or to store the souvenirs he could not hide back home. During holidays, they would meet and enjoy each others’ company during dinner before a quick gift exchange. The second year they knew each other, Loki gave them both cellphone charms that glistened in a curious way. The fact that they were caffeine charms made them laugh and take their minds off the glow, and the gifts they gave him, some books on molecular biology and nuclear physics, found their place on a shelf in his room back on Asgard. On Valentine’s day, he would tease the two by sending them tickets to some lovey dovey hotel, or amusement park themed just for the occasion, laughing at their shared blush. They would attempt to pay him back on April Fools, but no mere mortal could beat the God of Mischief (and yet every year, the three would laugh together as Bruce and Betty picked up the tattered remains of their failed prank). On their birthdays, he would send them frivolous things, such as a teddy bear in a lab coat for Betty, or a new mug for Bruce, or souvenirs from his travels, while on his false one, they would give him books or silly trinkets. Sometimes, they would attempt to set him up with one of their friends, but he insisted he was fine with the bachelor's life. When Bruce finally proposed to Betty, he was the first to find out, and he helped them celebrate by taking them on a trip to Hawaii. (They never knew where the tickets came from, or how he managed to produce them so quickly, but they never found out.)

 

On the other hand, his relationship with his family only worsened. Odin, no doubt aware of his escapades into Midgard but never mentioning them, still praised Thor for everything he did and grew ever more critical of Loki’s every mistake. Thor, perhaps missing his brother, attempted to include him at every turn to the annoyance of Sif and the Warriors Three, only to become enraged whenever blown off or Loki did little during the hunt, giving Loki the silent treatment for weeks on end before starting the cycle again. Frigga became busier as a generation of young maidens required magical tutoring and her assistance, leaving her less time with Loki… but the same amount with Thor. Sometimes, he found himself simply staying in Midgard for nights, or even a week, and his family never noticed his absence.  _ They don't care, _ he found himself thinking, one night as he watched some soap opera on the telly while eating a bowl of Chef Boyardee,  _ they never did _ . The distance from them only pushed him into his few comforts left, his travels and his friends. That night, with the soap and the pasta, he found himself discontent, knowing that he only had a few more precious years with Betty and Bruce. The thought twisted in his gut, and he knew there was little he could do for them.  _ No. I can still be there, for as long as I can. The next time they call, I'll invite them out. _

 

But Bruce and Betty didn’t call the next day. At first, he thought nothing of it, assuming their research was keeping them busy. They had been spending more and more time in the lab, after all. Apparently some deadline had been approaching. By the second day, however, he was suspicious, for the two would always call after a missed day to at least apologize, or say that they can't talk for a while because of work. He had decided to spend the night in Asgard then, and check again for a missed call in the morning. No one seemed to notice his trepidation as he sat at the dining hall, nor his noncommittal answer when Thor asked him where he had been the past few weeks. At the same time, he did not note the suspicious look cast to him by Sif, who exchanged glances with her friends. By morning of the third day, he was back in Willowdale, having hastily slipped out of Asgard at the crack of dawn. He told himself that he would just check in at the university for his friends. Instead, he found himself standing outside the crime scene of a lab, their lab, learning of Betty’s hospitalization and Bruce’s resignation from whispering students, but little else to explain what in the nine realms happened here. He attempted to eavesdrop for better information, or outright ask what was going on, but no one seemed to have any stories for him. Frustrated, he had ducked in a corner away from the entrance of the lab and cast an invisibility spell on himself before slipping through the quarantined entrance, to figure out what happened for himself. Once inside, he cast a look around, and immediately found things that were both puzzling and disturbing. The white chalk outlines of corpses, the void in the center of the lab, the broken equipment that was left behind, all fell under disturbing, while the presence of people who did not look at all like simple policemen, with their black suits and ties and their strange equipment (that looked nothing like those he once saw after breaking into a police station one night purely out of boredom), fell under puzzling. 

 

None of the mortals noticed him as he wandered the lab, listening to their conversations and looking around, for how could they detect a mage such as him? Though he dare not cast anything asides from his illusion, for most of the spells he knew would disrupt if not outright destroy his invisibility, and he did not recognize the machines they were using to scan the area. For all he knew, they may pick up the energy signals should he attempt it. After wandering the lab for ten minutes, his attention landed on a man who stood ramrod straight near the back of the lab, his hands folded behind his back, and one eyed gaze cast around the place, as if he could figure out what was going on with just a few careful looks. He was approached by yet another man in a suit, though this second one was hardly as notable as any of his peers, what with his rather unassuming and plain features. The unassuming man stepped close and spoke softly as he assumed a stance like the other's... though a bit more casual. Loki could hear them well from his corner as he observed some of the smashed equipment, trying to figure out what happened to it. 

 

“You were right.” The man stated, casting a look around, though Loki could not tell whether or not it was a cursory sweep or out of mistrust for his colleagues. “We came across traces of gamma radiation, and a some unknown compound in a few broken vials, but not much else. What wasn't destroyed looked like it was taken away, and we don't know what caused any of this. Even the security tapes have been taken away.”

 

“We probably would’ve found more.” The one with the eyepatch replied, his voice full of irritation. “If the General allowed us to assist with the investigation, and didn’t just pass it over to the cops when he was done!” He shot an angry look around the lab, one that said that if the subject of his ire were around, he would've no doubt decked him across the face. “Keep searching, and send a few agents to the police station. See if they're willing to co-operate with us. Then, send those compound samples to the lab. Finally, send a few search teams out. If the general won’t talk, and his daughter’s in no condition to talk, then we'd better find Mr. Bruce Banner.” at these words, Loki took a step closer, but the man ceased talking, turning his head to look in invisible god’s direction. He froze and reminded himself that no mortal could see him right now... but the one-eyed man kept staring right at him. Loki stayed still, as the plain-looking man looked puzzled at his superior.

 

“Sir?” He asked, though the eyepatched man didn't respond immediately. 

 

Finally, he cast a sweeping look around the lab. “...Search the perimeter. Make sure none of those reporters slipped in. Use the equipment, just in case.” 

 

_ Damn. _ Loki was at the hospital almost instantly after that.

 

\------

 

Betty had been set up in intensive care, motionless in her bed with bandages covering most of her visible form. Beside the bed stood a man who Loki identified as her father. At his entrance, Thaddeus’s attention snapped up and he shot a dark look at him.

 

Loki walked over and carefully looked Betty over with both worry and a hint of annoyance. A wave of his hand, and the injuries that she had could easily be wiped away. “Betty, are you okay?” He asked with concern in his voice. She did not reply, still unconscious, but the older mortal stepped over and placed a hand on his shoulder gripping it hard enough to make a mortal wince and the god annoyed. 

 

“Are you an acquaintance of Dr. Banner?”

 

Loki scowled out of view before turning to face the general.

 

“I’m a friend of his. Who are you?”

 

“General Thaddeus Ross. Elizabeth’s father.” He replied as he noted Loki’s guarded expression. “May we speak outside? I’ve a few questions I’d like to ask you.”

 

The Trickster observed him for a moment, before nodding. The two stepped outside the hospital room, and Loki calmly folded his hands behind his back. Thaddeus closed the door behind them, before looking at the man suspiciously. “First off… I’d like to know who you are, and how you know Dr. Banner.”

 

“Luke Owenson.” Loki calmly replied; years of using the fake name only meant it was easier to come to his tongue. “I met Dr. Banner and Elizabeth a few years ago at an Open House the university had.”

 

“Are you one of their students?”

 

“No, I took a different major, but I kept in touch with Bruce and his girlfriend. We’re good friends.” He cast a look back into the hospital room. “...What happened?”

 

The General paused for a moment before speaking, something noted by the trickster.“Bruce mishandled some of the lab equipment and caused some serious injuries.” He replied. “We’re still trying to find out what happened. Elizabeth…” at this, he too looked at the hospital room, “she was involved in the accident… She hasn’t woken up since that night. She’s in a coma, but I’m sure she’ll wake up soon.” He fell quiet for a moment, before looking at Loki again. “...Did Dr. Banner speak to you at all about what sort of experiments he was performing?”

 

“...No. He did not to my memory. But if I recall anything, you’ll be the first to know.” Loki smiled thinly, “once Betty wakes up, could you tell her to call me? I… didn’t know she was hospitalized. I have to go home soon.”

 

The old human looked suspiciously at the dark haired man, but nodded. “I’ll be sure to tell her.” He stated. Loki bid him farewell before heading down a hallway. No one saw him leave the building.


	3. Chapter 3

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.” Loki commented casually as he approached the dingy little corner, making Bruce jump in his seat in the dank bar, placing a hand to his chest as his eyes widened with shock. It didn’t take the God of Mischief long to find his friend, especially considering the Christmas gift he gave him a few years ago. All he really needed to do was activate the magic within, and it called out to him. When appeared outside the bar, he grimaced as he took a look around. The air was full of salt and moisture, and it seemed that this establishment had been set in the slums of this city. Why Bruce was here was beyond him, but he sought to find answers.

 

When he had first entered, and cast a look around, he saw Bruce working quietly to remove the two charms he kept on his now batteryless phone: a tiny, heart shaped picture of Elizabeth and the caffeine molecule Loki gave him for Christmas in happier times. Now, the Asgardian’s eyes landed on it for a moment before he sat down across from his friend, observing him with a curious look on his face. It was clear that the past few days had been harsh on Bruce; his clothes and hair were rumpled, smelling horribly as though he had not bathed since fleeing, his eyes had bags under them and he could tell there was a bit of panic in them. There was a stubble on his chin that he wouldn’t have had before, and when Bruce opened his mouth, Loki could smell that he had not partook in oral hygiene for quite some time. When the Asgardian finished his observation, he noted that his friend had been trying to take deep breaths, eyes shut as he tried to force himself to calm down.

 

“L-Luke? What...” He cast a worried look towards the door when he finally settled slightly. He looked carefully at Loki, before dropping his voice to a panicked whisper. “How did you find me? Did… Are you alone?”

 

“Yes, I was looking for you, and yes.” He replied with a small, wry smile on his face, as Bruce looked at him with mild confusion. “Do not worry, I’ve no interest in declaring your presence here.”

 

At that assurance, the ex-professor relaxed, even if he did have his reservations on Loki’s answers “...That doesn’t explain how you found me, Luke… Last I heard, you were in Baltimore.” Bruce frowned.

 

“So?”

 

“So knowing you, you only found out, at the earliest, yesterday. I’ve been on the run since what happened. We’re in New Orleans! I just made it here five minutes ago, and I threw away everything that could’ve been used to track me. How did you find me?”

 

“Magic.” Loki replied flatly, and Bruce looked at him strangely, but the Asgardian pressed on before he could ask another question. “Look, I just want to know what happened. You disappeared, Betty’s in the hospital, and it looks like the university blew up a little.” He paused for effect, but it only served for him to see his friend pained. He instead raised an eyebrow as he propped his elbows on the table. He tried not to think about his sweater stuck to it. “I was hoping that you could fill in the blanks… and if I could help.”

 

“Help?” Bruce echoed, seeming puzzled at those words, as though he didn’t expect any from his friend. If Loki were honest with himself, he wouldn’t have believed his own offer either. Four years ago, barely a blink of an eye compared to his long existence, he would’ve been amused at the curious situation, perhaps done his best to ensure that this source of entertainment would last a long time. Now, because it was Bruce and Betty involved… 

 

“Well, if you don’t want any, then I’ll leave you to it.” He snapped a bit irritably, to cover up his own confusion over the situation. Bruce flinched as though struck, and Loki winced internally, noting the effect his words had on his friend. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I apologize… I did not mean that. I… Right now, the two companions whom I hold in the highest regard are both in trouble. I do not know what happened, but it is clear to me that they are both in pain. If I may assist in any way… I shall. But to do that, I must hear what you have to say on what happened.”

 

Bruce looked at him quietly, before sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. “I...I can’t exactly say what happened, Luke. I-I don’t even know myself, b-but everything was strictly confidential, and-”

 

“-And you’re currently on the run with the government and military on your tail.” The ex-professor looked at him, startled and paling. “I ran into Betty’s father in the hospital. He’s been fishing for information on you, and when I visited the university, I saw those charming men in black that practically jumped out of that movie you so love.” Loki leaned against the table and looked his friend in the eye. “Bruce. I will not betray you. Whatever you tell me, I shall keep silent no matter who asks if it means you are safe. On this, I give you my word.”

 

The mortal stared at the God of Lies carefully for a few moments, before nodding shakily. “Okay… okay...” He took a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself to explain. “I...I was on a project to research gamma radiation, whether or not we could make humans resist its negative effects. I thought that I had a serum that could work… It just needed gamma radiation to stabilize it. I tested it and...” He ran his hands through his hair, unsure what to say next.

 

“...It failed.” Loki deduced. “You caused the incident.”

 

“I-It wasn’t me.” Bruce replied, fear in his eyes but no conviction in his voice. “What I turned into… I… I didn’t have control...” He lowered his head again, and shook it. “I don’t know what happened… How that could’ve happened… I was so  _ sure _ but…” He fell quiet, and Loki found himself reaching out to place a hand on his friend’s shaking shoulder. “...I’m a monster, Luke… I… I hurt Betty. I killed people… I… Oh god...” Bruce’s voice became a whisper, his breath became shuddered, deep yet quick.

 

“Hush, my friend.” The trickster’s voice dropped to a soothing tone that was unfamiliar to him as he gently squeezed the man’s shoulder, to ground him in the moment. It was… strange. A part of him had wanted to destroy Banner then, for harming Betty but… the need to protect his friend from the fear in his heart was greater, and he too was hurting. He could feel their pain. “You are no monster, but a brilliant man who now faces a difficult problem. I know you, Bruce. You would have never done anything unless you were absolutely certain, and there is no way that you could botch a simple immunity serum so terribly.” He paused, and a small smile formed on his face. “Well… Not unless you had been drinking on the job.” A pained laugh came from Bruce, and Loki removed his hand. “Now… what do you think really happened?”

 

“...I don’t know… T-The serum was developed by Betty and I… but it was locked up on campus before my experiment…” Bruce finally looked up, eyes red but a thoughtful look on his face. “Maybe… Maybe the others on the project tampered with it. If I could get back there, or into the database, I could find out the truth...”

 

“Then allow me to assist.” Loki replied with a small smile. 


	4. Chapter 4

“So remind me again, how is this not going to go wrong?” Bruce asked through the walkie-talkies that Loki had...borrowed, along with a few other items, from General Ross’ home the night before. They had arrived back in Willowdale from New Orleans just before sundown, and the two hid out in Loki’s cottage on the edge of the town. While Bruce marveled at all the little things that Loki had collected since first arriving in Midgard, the trickster went out on the pretense of getting provisions… which was technically true. He had also visited the university, but Bruce needn’t know that yet.

 

“I will direct attention away from the university by making it seem as though you are on the other side of town while you enter the university with your hood up.” Loki replied for the tenth time. “You will act as a student until you reach the restricted areas, at which point you must disable the security-”

 

“-right, and how do you think I’m going to do that? Ask them nicely?”

 

“Very amusing.” Loki’s voice was dry.

 

“I don’t even know what this thing you gave me even does.”

 

“It’s a small scale… electromagnetic pulse. Or so the label says.”

 

“And  _ why _ did you have that?”

 

“I borrowed it from the General.”

 

“And  _ how _ did you manage to steal  _ military grade tech _ from  **_The Thunderbolt’s_ ** house?!”

 

“Magic. Now shut up and let me continue. Once you’re at the security office, that device should disable the equipment in there. Then you can just go into the lab, get whatever information you need, then leave without any troubles.”

 

“Yeah, like the alarms won’t go off the second that I do anything. Great plan, Luke.”

 

“Do not worry about that, I’ve that covered. If you’re lucky, that isn’t connected to the entire university security system.” The terse silence from the other end spoke volumes on Bruce’s confidence in this. “Contact me once you are finished.”

 

“If this fails, I’m going to haunt your sorry ass until you die.” The other side cut off, and Loki quietly chuckled as he took his thumb off the transmitter.

 

“Then you’d be around for a long time, my friend...” He murmured to himself as he lowered his radio, looking at the small gathering of soldiers, Ross included. He ducked into an alleyway and smiled a little.  _ Look, Thor. It’s your favourite trick! _ He mused idly as he gathered energies in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, the illusion of Bruce Banner was walking down the street, hands in his pockets and looking completely at peace with the world. He and his caster heard the shout Ross gave, and Loki sent the illusion running down the opposite alleyway, troops hot on his heels.

 

For the next fifteen minutes, he led the soldiers on a wild goose chase, sending his illusion across rooftops, jumping down to a clothesline, running down alleyways and through the streets, mindful of people who might accidentally bump into it and reveal the trickery. He chuckled softly at the rage on the General’s face as he charged past people, leapt over cars, and tried all he could to catch what was not really there. Once or twice, he dispelled it to confuse the soldiers and to move to a better position for casting, before making Banner appear again only a few feet away. He was mindful to keep the illusion moving further and further away from the university, just in case

 

At twenty minutes, his radio crackled to life. “Luke.” Banner’s voice hissed over the radio. “I got everything I need. I’m heading back to your house while security’s distracted. Apparently someone set off a bunch of fireworks by the Political Science building, so lucky me.”

 

A small smile formed on Loki’s face as he sent the illusion-Bruce down a winding alleyway. “Good. How long will that take you?”

 

“About five minutes. Can you hold out that long?”

 

_ Who do you think you are talking to, Mortal? _ He thought to himself, but only spoke a simple “Of course” as a reply.

 

Then, it seemed that Ross lost patience and withdrew a pistol, taking a few shots at the illusion. Shots, apparently picked up by the radio. “Luke? What the hell’s going on there?”

 

“Oh, nothing you need to worry about. Just a few fireworks here.”

 

“Are… Did you plant those for me?” Banner fell quiet, as his mirror image started to duck under more shots. “W-Wait… Those don’t…Are you being  _ shot at? _ ”

 

The God of Mischief just grinned at the concern from the other end of the line. “Just a little. I’ll see you at home.” Banner started to protest, but Loki shut off his communicator. 

 

For another ten minutes, Loki allows the illusion to run around, dodging the shots of Ross, his soldiers, and the cops that arrived. Then, he lead it to an open manhole he had spotted earlier and threw it down there, dispelling it once it disappeared from sight. He smirked, listening to Ross barked orders to his men before he pulled a disappearing act of his own, appearing seconds later beside his home.

 

Inside, he found Bruce sitting on his couch and looking carefully at a laptop, studying the data on it with wide eyes. He jumped in shock when Loki closed the door with an eyebrow raised as he looked at his pale friend. “Tada. I’m back, and with no bullet wounds to show for it. Bit disappointing, isn’t it?” He commented a bit sarcastically, hands raised in mock surprise. “How did it go on your end?”

 

“They wanted to turn it into a weapon.” The horror in Bruce’s voice was enough for Loki to drop the act. He stepped out of the hallway and took a seat across from the researcher. “Its… The Serum wasn’t meant to protect anyone at all. I-It was for some super soldier program.” He took a few, stuttery breaths, his hands tight fists. “That’s why they’re after me… T-They know what happened- they  _ wanted this, all of this, to happen _ . I…” He shook his head and stood up, biting his lip and pacing. “I can’t let them study me, Luke. It’s too dangerous. I’m too dangerous. I- I-.”

 

“You need to calm down, Bruce.” Loki looked up at his friend, elbows resting on his knees.

 

“Calm down? Calm down?! Luke, if they get their hands on me, they-” With his magician’s eye, Loki noted the life energies swirling chaotically in Bruce. They seemed… stranger now, and he could not see why. But he didn’t dare let them erupt from his friend.

 

“They will not.” The Trickster stood and walked over to his friend, placing his hands on his shoulders and looking in his eyes. “You need to calm down. I will help you escape the city. Go into hiding, and I shall do my best to ensure they cannot follow.”

 

Bruce let out a troubled, high pitched laugh as he stepped away from the God, running his hands frantically through his hair. “Really. You’ll do that, huh? A-And how are you going to do that, Luke, huh? By bribing people with whatever money you have from that mysterious source you never talk about, or just pointing in a random direction saying ‘There he is! There’s the monster’ while I go the other direction?” He was breathing heavily now, and the energies swirled more chaotically. Obviously, the calm route didn’t work.

 

Best stick to what did. “Yes. No. Sort of. What?” Loki raised a thin eyebrow at his friend, and the strange string of words made the worried ex-professor pause. “Yes, I will assist. No, I have no intention of bribing, and yes, I will make it seem as though you escaped the city by plane or car, whichever you prefer, and you will take the opposite way. It’s pretty typical of escape strategies, after all, making it obvious that you are in one place while slipping away through another way.”  _ Fates know how many times Thor and I have done it, going off on an adventure while making mother and father think we were meekly eating dinner. Alone, since they were too busy... _ “I believe it would be easier if you were spotted taking a plane, preferably with flashy tourist clothes; the car is a more discrete way of going through places.” He paused to think, wondering how that should be achieved… Using his illusions to forge a fake ticket for a fake Banner? Perhaps just make him run through a terminal and hide out on a plane as it takes off? Maybe get Bruce to get in his or Betty’s car? No, that would be too obvious once it turns out it was missing… Unless of course he stole the plates off another, similar car and swapped them… Get a fake driver’s licence… choices, choices, decisions, decisions... “But whatever you do, you must leave soon.” He finally concluded after a few moments of mulling over the choices. They would have more time to plan later.

 

“Luke...” It seemed that Loki’s words calmed him, because Bruce placed his hands on Loki’s shoulders, his tired eyes full of gratitude and a small smile on his lips, before hugging him tightly and burying his face in his shoulder. The Asgardian twitched at the unfamiliar contact, only barely managing to reign in the impulse to shove the human away. He had to remind himself that he was not being attacked, that- Bruce spoke, his friend full of relief. “Thanks… for helping me, for being my friend. I’ll… I’ll make it up to you someday. I promise.” He hesitated then, and looked at the Trickster, releasing him from the hug and looking him in the eyes once more, hope in them. “You’ll… can you tell Betty? Please, anything I send could be intercepted.”

 

His mouth moved before he could process his friend’s words. Were it him before, he would’ve stated that someone else ought to, that it wasn’t his duty, that he had done more than enough, thank you very much, and without any sort of compensation, he might add. Instead, what came out was a small smile and the words “I will. She has a right to know. Now, let’s get you out of here.” before he clapped his hand onto Bruce’s shoulder.

 

As he toiled through the night, planning, placing calls, and calming his friend when his energies moved in odd ways, he had to wonder why he had forgotten what a hug was… and how he was supposed to be.  _ By Yggdrasill, whatever happened to Loki, God of Mischief? _


	5. Chapter 5

In the end, Bruce took a car Loki had procured ages ago, while the trickster used his illusions to make it seem as though Banner escaped to Europe by plane (through a dramatic and convoluted ploy that made it seem as though he jumped into the cargo just as it closed). By the time that the error is corrected, that the double could not be found when the plane touched down in Berlin, Banner was already in North Dakota. The two had also, prior to the ex-professor’s departure, set up a way of communicating through internet cafes or places with easily accessible wifi, using accounts they set up on Encrypt-Net. Since then, they had been coordinating, with Loki advising where Bruce should or shouldn’t go, while his friend kept him updated on his status. Almost a month passed, since the whole nightmare started, before Betty finally woke up, and three weeks after that before Loki could visit her, thanks to Thaddeus’ intervention.

 

Nevertheless, he was there the first day he was allowed, though escorted by by the General, who watched him distrustfully. He entered the room, carrying a large bouquet of assorted flowers, and Betty looked at him with wide eyes. “Luke!” She sat up straight in her bed and held out her arms, clearly expecting a hug. “Oh, god, Luke, it’s been ages, how have you… where have you been? Everyone else came to see me… well, everyone but Bruce… Um... D-?”

 

Loki crossed the room to where she lay, setting the flowers down across Betty’s covered lap before wrapping her up tightly in his arms. “I’m sorry that I didn’t come sooner.” He stated, as though he didn’t notice the beginning of her next question. “I had been… busy.” He added, keeping his voice loud enough for Thaddeus to overhear. A muted grunt from across the room, barely audible to the human ear, meant that the man approved of what he said. Apparently he liked keeping secrets from his daughter. The Asgardian dropped his voice to a whisper, lips barely moving as he kept the hug around Betty. “Don’t react to what I say. Inside the flowers is a note. Wait until you are alone to read it. Be cautious.”

 

Betty was puzzled, but Loki let go and straightened so that her expression was hidden from her father. She looked up, but the trickster merely gave her a wink before he sat down beside the bed. Thankfully by then, she had followed his instructions and smiled as though nothing was out of place. “Are you okay?” He asked with concern in his voice, his arms resting on his knees.

 

“Yeah. I’m mostly better now. The doctors said, I’ll be out of here soon.”

 

“Good. A new diner opened up where Sunny Stop used to be. How about I take you there to celebrate?”

 

“Yeah, sure… I’ll call you when I get discharged then.” Loki smiled, and changed the topic to various frivolous things, from who else had visited, how the hospital was treating her, whether or not she felt bored, if perhaps he could smuggle her one of those handheld consoles to play games on. He stayed for over half an hour, just chatting with Betty as she idly fiddled with the petals of the flowers, with her father hovering over their shoulders, eyes as watchful as a hawk’s. When Thaddeus finally got tired of the trickster’s presence, he calmly stepped over to the bedside, placed a hand on the Asgardian’s shoulder with a grip that would’ve made a lesser being whine in agony, and politely if sternly suggested that he leave his daughter to rest. Loki agreed with a winning smile, acting as though he did not notice the grip on his shoulder (and quite frankly, he didn’t. The old human did not have a strong hand at all,especially if one took into account he routinely had to deal with  _ Thor’s _ touches.) though he did ask for Thaddeus to accompany him, as if he were unsure of the hospital’s layout. The General had growled, though agreed once Loki calmly pointed out that he could just wait for a nurse to come by.

 

Once they were gone, Betty launched into action after casting a nervous look to the door. She swiftly searched the flowers for the note, doing her best to not tear them apart in her frantic search. Thankfully, she found the tiny neat scrap nestled in the center of the stems, with her name written in rather fancy handwriting, perhaps to seem more like a card than anything. She ran a fingernail along the edge to find the seam, and when the paper parted, she quickly unfolded it, finding that, even opened, it was small enough to hide in her hand, but the words large enough to be legible. Absently, she noted it was not in Luke’s handwriting, but read on anyways.

 

_ Betty: _

 

_ I would have said this if I could have safely, but your father is hunting Bruce (even shot at him a bit, if you can believe that), and if he knows my involvement with his disappearance, then your fiance won’t be the only one on the run. He is alright for now, or at least he was the last time that I contacted him, but he is danger. As Bruce put it, the serum you developed was meant to be a weapon, a dangerous one, rather than whatever it was you two were told you were working on. (Don’t ask me for details, I’m the outsider to all this. If anything, you should know.) He’s running now to avoid it falling into the military’s hands, as apparently they’d need him to replicate it, but I think he also intends to reverse its effects. How he will do that as a fugitive is beyond me, but I will get updates from him whenever I can. _

 

_ One more thing; when Bruce went to find out the truth, he attempted to get into your research data, but he could not access it. He had run out of time to study it or take it. He did not ask this, but I suggest that you take your research and ensure that it cannot be found, lest Bruce’s departure be in vain. _

 

_ I will attempt to update you when I can on him, but no promises. And of course, obviously keep this from dear old daddy. Who knows what he has planned for our mutual friend. _

 

_ Mischief _

_ (Apologies for the dramatic sign off. I’d rather  _ _ not _ _ be identified should this note fall into the wrong hands. If you could destroy it for me once you’re done, I would be very grateful.) _

 

Her hands were shaking by the time she reached the end of the letter, though she pressed on to read it a few more times. Bruce was okay? He’s on the run? Luke helped him? The project was a success? The project was a goddamn weapon? She… It was a bit much for her to take in at this point. But even in her frantic state, she made sure to tear up the note into the smallest pieces that she could. Then, she grabbed a small styrofoam cup from the bedside table, filled it slightly with water, and dropped the bits in, letting them turn into pulp before tossing the whole mess into the trash.

 

By the time her father returned, he had thought her dozing off. Thaddeus stepped to Betty’s side, to plant a light kiss onto her forehead, and it was all she could do to stay laying down and not sit up and slap him hard across the face. But he could see the hot, salty lines running down her cheeks, so he gently ran his thumb over the wetness to take it away. “Don’t worry, Betty...” He hollowly promised, “everything’s going to be alright.”


	6. Chapter 6

….

Welcome to EncryptNet

Log in…

Encrypting….

Encryption 100%

Now calling Mr. Green…

TRICKSTER: Really? Mr Green? Are you undercover as the Jolly Green Giant now, because if you are, I’m going to have to change that fake ID I made for you.

  1. GREEN: Shut up.



TRICKSTER: Should I put your hometown as The Valley, Minnesota? Perhaps list your height as 55f?

  1. GREEN: Like you’re any better with Trickster?



TRICKSTER: Remind me again: who could never beat whom in a prank-off. Who among us is, quite simply, the best there is? ;)

  1. GREEN: Yeah, well if all this didn’t happen, we would’ve showed you a real prank. Betty and I were already planning it. It would’ve been glorious.



TRICKSTER: Haha. Sure. Would’ve given me the scare of my life. *Insert whatever the roll eyes smiley is here.*

TRICKSTER: In any case, I told Betty what happened.

TRICKSTER: Well, not told exactly. More like left her a note in flowers with all that spy information, that sort of thing, but you get it.

  1. GREEN: How is she doing?



TRICKSTER: Better. She’s healed up. Left the hospital few days ago, and I treated her to lunch. Explained to her that I couldn’t put you in touch with her because of her dad though.

TRICKSTER: Sorry. :(

  1. GREEN: No, it’s fine. The safer she is the better. As long as I know she’s okay, that’s all that matters.



TRICKSTER: If you want, I can try to relay messages between you two, but I don’t know for how long. Apparently Daddykins doesn’t like me.

  1. GREEN: No. You’ve done more than enough, Luke. Thanks. And it looks like parents have that in common: hating you.



TRICKSTER: Haha, I’d be offended, but it’s true. One of my special talents, in fact. My dad’s been giving me the evil eye for ages now. Helps that he only has one, though. I’d hate to deal with two evil eyes and nothing but adoration for my idiot brother.

TRICKSTER: But that’s by the by. It won’t be long until he tries to get to me. I’m prepared to leave at any time, though, and he’d never find me where I go.

  1. GREEN: Heh, mind bringing me there sometime? I’d love to just hide out for a while.



TRICKSTER: Would if I could, but Father isn’t too keen on guests, especially foreign ones. He’s a bit of a racist.

  1. GREEN: Ah yes, your mystical homeland where everything is bright, beautiful, and 100% confidential. That’s a shame. I’d really like to talk to that prick sometime. Get parenting tips from him.



TRICKSTER: Lol. I’m sure he would love that. He’s always so proud of his precious son, so I’m sure he’d love to talk about how he raised him.

TRICKSTER: Oh yeah, and there’s one more kid, what’s his name… whatever, he doesn’t matter at all. Won’t have a chance to do anything worthwhile while his completely stupid, pigheaded, simpleminded but yet oh so fucking perfect brother gets to do everything, be everything and

  1. GREEN: ...Luke?



TRICKSTER: Sorry, Bruce. Went off for a bit there. It doesn’t matter right now.

TRICKSTER:  In any case, you mentioned you made it to Canada already. I can’t wait for you to come back before leaving. I might not have the time.

  1. GREEN: Oh… alright, if you say so...



TRICKSTER: Don’t worry. I already have a few ideas of where you can go instead. I’ve also helped you make a few appearances elsewhere.

TRICKSTER: As far as Thaddeus knows, you’re in Asia, joining a Buddhist church. Or in Australia, getting chased down by a dingo. Or Hawaii, enjoying Sex on the Beach. Whichever intel he comes across first.

  1. GREEN: Thanks Luke. I appreciate it. Really. :|



TRICKSTER: Any time ‘Mr. Green’ ;) 

  1. GREEN: You’re not going to let that go, are you?



TRICKSTER: We’re using pseudonyms anyways. Why not keep them consistent, Greenie?

TRICKSTER: It would certainly help you get int

  1. GREEN: Luke?
  2. GREEN: Luke are you there?



Mr. Green pinged Trickster

Trickster has disconnected the call

Thank you for using EncryptNet! As always, we are 100% confidential and 100% untrackable.

 

\---

 

Loki shot an irritated look at the ruined laptop before he let out a sigh and cast a sweeping look around his living room. If he were honest, he would’ve said he was surprised that they didn’t attempt this already. Thaddeus had suspected him of aiding Banner for a while, and he knew that.  _ Really though… Causing this much damage over a suspicion? No wonder no one likes the American Foreign Policy. _ He thought to himself as he looked over the now useless machine, sighing softly before setting it ablaze; since he couldn’t use it, he figured he ought to ensure nothing could be taken from it. Turning now to the source of the commotion and stepping over the ruined table, Loki crouched down to press two fingers against the neck of one of his home invaders.  Barely three minutes ago, he heard three of them approaching his secluded little cottage, but he thought nothing of it as he chatted with Bruce.

 

Then they broke into his house, and broke his laptop while attempting to get to him. He may have overreacted and thrown them across the room. With magic. Oh well. They’re alive, and he at least sent most of his souvenirs back to Asgard. No real harm done. Loki crouched down and took out a marker, grinning a bit as he started to doodle on the faces of the invaders, writing on the three of them. BETTER LUCK. NEXT. TIME. He paused when he heard the cock of a gun from behind him.

 

“You do realize how rude it is for you to break into someone’s home, right?” Loki asked conversationally as he finished writing.

 

“Hands over your head where I can see them.” Thaddeus’ stated, his voice stern. The God of Mischief grinned out of sight and nodded, setting the marker down and slowly standing up, raising his hands up to his head.

 

“Okay…. Now what?” Loki asked, turning his head to the side, the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

 

“Luke Owenson. I didn’t find any records of you in Culver University, Virginia Tech, and I bet if I looked, I won’t find you registered anywhere. So you tell me who the hell you are, and where Bruce Banner is, and maybe I won’t shoot you.”

 

A soft chuckle passed through his lips as he turned slowly to face Thaddeus. “...I am Prince Loki of Asgard. Son of Odin and Frigga, brother to Thor, and a god compared to you mortals.”

 

A shot echoed through the air, the bullet embedding in the wall and Thaddeus’s eyes were full of fury. Loki merely blinked. “You think this is a game, boy?” The General growled with rage. “I know damn well you helped Banner escape from the city weeks ago. Security tapes caught you wandering the university the night before, setting up those distractions for him. I’m willing to bet the person I chased that day was in fact you, and you just took out three of my best soldiers in the time it took me to walk in through the door. I ain’t buying it, so how about you cut the bullshit and tell me what I want to know.”

 

“My name is David Archer. I used to live in Iraq, before the Americans came over and ruined everything. Came here looking for safety, but...You don’t care at all on the details about me, though. Do you, General Ross?” Loki asked softly as he looked at Thaddeus, his head tilted to the side. “What you really care about is getting to Bruce.”

 

“Can it, stranger. If you don’t tell me what I want to know, I’ll kill you right now.” The General’s words were stern, but even he knew that the bluff wouldn’t work…. and not because Loki was far too powerful for such a tiny weapon to cause him any sort of harm. No, he wouldn’t know about that.

 

“And then you lose all possible leads to Bruce.” He glanced pointedly at his laptop. “Whatever information I had on that is gone now.” Thaddeus said nothing, so Loki continued. “I can tell you what you want to hear, if you just lets me go.”

 

“And this information is accurate?”

 

Loki scoffed. “First you break into my home, then point a gun to my head, now you doubt what I want to say? If you’re going to go through all that trouble, you might as well question a duck.” Another warning shot, this one an inch away from Loki’s foot. Still he did not wince. “He’s on his way to Mexico. He intends to cross the border and then head to Germany.”

 

Thaddeus’ eyes widened, and he murmured something that should’ve been too quiet for Loki to hear. “HYDRA...” His eyes turned to slits and it took the Asgardian a bit of willpower not to smirk. How lucky he managed to pick a good random location and  _ not  _ have to come up with foolish exposition. “And he said this to you in confidence.”

 

“He was hoping that he could find out more about HYDRA, see if he could use what he finds.”

 

The General watched him carefully and slowly lowered his weapon, so Loki slowly lowered his hands, keeping his eyes on the man. “Where is he now?”

 

“San Diego. He intends to cross into Tijuana from the San Ysidro.”

 

“...And it’s one of the busiest crossings in the world… Dammit. You’re coming with us. If you’re right, then he’ll be happy to see a friendly face.”

 

Loki smiled. “Of course… If I could just use the washroom before leaving?”

 

Thaddeus glared at him darkly, and raised his weapon. “Try anything funny. I dare you.”

 

_ Well, if you  _ **_dare_ ** _ me... _  Loki merely nodded and made his way to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He glanced at the open window, and listened carefully. Two men were moving into position just outside… Better make this fun. He took a deep breath and gathered his magical energy.

 

Outside the house, the two soldiers waited for their boss’ command, eyes fixed on the bathroom window in case the unknown attempted to make a break for it. Five minutes passed. Then ten. Then the window burst open, with the suspect out and running. The soldiers made their move, chasing after him, but he ran faster than a normal human should.

 

Thaddeus burst into the bathroom when he heard the window break, and saw nothing but broken glass on the floor. He let out an enraged swear and barked orders through a walkie-talkie. “After him! He’s probably going to warn Banner!” He did another sweep of the bathroom before leaving.

 

The room was still for a moment, then a man shimmered into view. Loki smiled benignly as he looked outside, watching his double disappear down the darkened streets. “Are they never going to fall for that?” He asked himself with amusement, as he opened the bathroom cabinet to take out a backpack. He slung it over his shoulder and left the house through the back door. All that was left there alive were the three soldiers, with BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME scrawled on their faces.

 

\----

 

To: eliza.ross@culveru.com

Subject: CHEM 2104-010 Lab Inquiry

From: dalalonde974@culveru.com

 

Betty, sorry for hijacking one of your student’s emails. I figured that Daddykins won’t check these; you get too many of them anyways, and it’s far too much for him to sift through. He’s a busy man after all. Speaking of his work, he figured out that I’ve been helping a mutual friend, so he decided to pay me a visit a while ago. Gave him the slip, but I have to keep moving.

 

Since your pop is after me, I’ve decided to head home for a while. Don’t worry about BB, he can take care of himself.  I’ll try and be in touch when I can.

 

Mischief

 

P.S. You ought to inform Mister Lalonde that his university email is not meant for signing up for porn sites. And that he should scan his home computer for viruses. I suggest you run virus scans on anything he sends you.


	7. Chapter 7

“Brother, there you are. You’ve been much easier to find of late.” Thor’s voice quipped up from the archway into the castle, drawing Loki’s attention from the novel that he had been reading. The courtyard he had chosen to spend the day in was one that rarely saw traffic; it was not large enough for training to take place in, and the flowers that grew here only drew the eyes of noble women. Given that Frigga had been busy with lessons, only a few came to gaze upon their beauty of late.

 

Loki let out a soft sigh as he noted the page he was on, before closing his book and turning his attention to his brother. He had hoped for more quiet since resolving to stay in Asgard, though his mind had swirled with worry. He had been staying home for nearly three weeks now, cut off from Midgard and, more importantly, news of his friends. He trusted that Betty was safe, for even though her father was a psychotic scumbag, he nevertheless still loved her and no doubt would assure her safety. Bruce on the other hand… Well, at least he managed to divert attention away from where he was. He could only hope that the time Thaddeus wasted looking south instead of north was well spent by his fugitive friend.

 

In any case, Thor had not come alone today. Then again, Thor was never alone. His dearest friends, Sif and Warriors Three, trailed after him as per norm. Loki had to wonder at times whether or not they were actually separate individuals, and not Thor’s pride manifesting in as physical lackies that came to his beck and call…Or warts. They were certainly as annoying as warts, so that was also an option. He suppressed a soft chuckle at this idle musing as he sat up straight, swinging his feet off the bench and to the ground. “Yes, well, I have been busy in my studies.” He remarked coolly. “Not everyone can simply swing around a hammer and be considered perfect, after all.”

 

“Oh?” Sif quipped up, her own eyes as cold as Loki’s tongue. “Because Heimdall told us he had seen you on Midgard of late. It is strange, since we hardly see you around the Bifrost.” Thor looked at his friends with confusion that made it clear he knew not of what they spoke of, though the Warriors Four all shared the same suspicious look, then back to his brother with curious eyes.

 

“My dear Sif.” Loki drawled as he slid off the stone seat he had been reclining in. “I understand that your eyes only see my dear brother,” at this, both the warrior maiden and thunder god flushed pink, and Fandral bit back a laugh, “but when I go, I ensure not to interrupt your little… play-dates.”

 

“Loki, please.” Thor frowned a bit helplessly as his cheeks continued their flare.

 

“Wait, what are we then? His chaperones?” Volstagg inquired with a gruff note of discontent in his voice. Hogun just smiled slightly, amusement sparkling in his eyes, while Fandral nodded along with the joke.

 

Despite the crimson painting her cheeks, Sif was not deterred. “T-That doesn’t answer my question, Loki.”

 

“Which question? You never asked one.” The Trickster’s lips quirked up, enjoying his riling of Sif. So many times she had tried to humiliate him that he felt rather obligated to return her the favour. “Unless you mean your ‘Oh?’ which is more of an exclamation than a question, despite the implication of a question mark.”

 

“Oh shut up!” Sif snapped irritably, clearly disliking these word games. “How does heading to Midgard relate to your studies?” Loki did not answer, though the sly smile was still on his lips. “Loki! Answer me!” Still, he said nothing, and so she stepped up to him, arms crossed. “Answer!”

 

“But Sif, how may I answer when you tell me to be silent?” He inquired curiously, to which the warmaiden let out an enraged noise. He chuckled softly at her rage, but chose to spare her further irritation, lest she attempt to strike him.“But, I suppose I shall despite the conflicting demands. I head to Midgard to study the sight which the War happened. Surely even you know that the site on which the Allfather defeated the Jotun on Midgard is important. Or do you need that famous story recited for you again?”

 

Sif looked as though she had been slapped, and scowled, though she did not back down. “Really, Loki? And what did you intend to do on that trip?”

 

“To...study the site? I believe I mentioned that. It’s the same as when I went to study Svartalfheim. Goodness, Sif, I suggest you clean your ears.”

 

“But you only visited Svartalfheim once! How do you explain your multiple trips to Midgard? Heimdall told us you had been going there for years now. Does the Allfather know of that?” If she expected a reaction out of him, he did not show any. He had been prepared to answer, but another spoke up before he could.

 

“Oh come now, Sif. I’m sure that all of Loki’s trips to Midgard have been perfectly benign.” Fandral stated airily, though his eyes glistened with some cruel amusement. “ Perhaps he is simply bedding a mortal wench...whichever one might have him.”

 

While Volstagg laughed a little and Thor blushed at the idea of his younger brother becoming a proper man without his knowledge, both Sif and Loki shot the same glare at Fandral, the former for the terminology, and the latter for his mockery of his companions.  “How amusing.” The God of Lies drawled. “But unfortunately inaccurate… the Asgard-Jotunheim war was far more recent than the Dark Elf conflict, thus there is, in theory, more to study or find.”

 

“Why don’t you simply stay in Asgard and study from here?” Volstagg piped up. “Don’t have to go so far.”

 

“For one, the Jotun never made it to Asgard, thus there are no sights of combat to study. Two, we only have our own view of the conflict, which makes it quite difficult to get the whole story.” Thor was about to say something, but Loki continued. “And short of heading to Jotunheim, a foolish task given their resentment to Asgard, there is little we know on their reasons.”

 

“What’s there to know?  They’re violent and wanted Midgard. Enough said.” Fandral shrugged even as Loki rolled his eyes. Sif frowned, studying Loki.

 

“Is that all you’re looking to find, Loki? Or perhaps… you’re searching for something else?”

 

“For what?” Thor inquired, looking at his brother curiously, before smiling slightly, as though an idea came to him. “Perhaps we may assist you in your search?”

 

“No, I am not searching for anything in particular. Not that there is anything that should be found there.”

 

“But perhaps… something that can be found?” Sif started, smirking as though she realized something. Loki was nearly puzzled for a moment, at least until Hogun suddenly spoke up.

 

“The Tesseract.” The silent warrior was looking at Loki with a frown on his face. All others fell quiet and glanced at the usually silent man. “Is that it?”

 

Loki pondered for just a moment. “I… had not thought of it.” He admitted, but now, he acted as though he was thoughtful. “But that does seem like it should be found. Perhaps back into the Allfather’s vault.”

 

“Is that why you search for it, Loki?” Sif asked cautiously while ignoring Loki’s wording, as though suspicious of the words that came from the God of Lies.

 

“Well, it should not be in mortal hands given they know not its power. According to our studies on the war, we had been too busy rebuilding to focus on finding it.” Loki murmured as he rubbed at his chin. “Perhaps I should find it.”

 

“And you intend to bring it to Odin should you find it?” Hogun asked, to which Loki nodded.

 

“Of course. If I find it, I intended to send it back to the vault, where it belongs.” He replied, as he shifted to sit down again. “But this is all hypothetical. I had only meant to study the old battlegrounds for a while. Perhaps I will take a break for now, and search for it proper at a later date with a fresh eye.” Hogun watched him quietly before nodding, as if believing his words.

 

“If you require our assistance then, brother, you need only ask for it.” Thor replied with a grin. “Retrieving the Tesseract would be a glorious act.”

 

“I suppose so. But I imagine that it requires intelligence, patience and subterfuge… all of which you have a shortage of, dear brother.” Loki looked at Thor with a smirk, and for once, Sif chuckled at Loki’s words.

 

“I am not short on intelligence.” Thor huffed

 

“But you cannot deny that he is incorrect on the other counts, Thor.” Fandral ribbed. Thor lightly punched him in the shoulder.

 

“If I find a lead, I will clue you in. But in the meantime, brother, might I inquire why you sought me out today?” Loki asked before they could get into a slap fight and cause damage to the flowers around them.

 

“Ah, yes.” Thor paused as he held Fandral’s arms high above his head and started to grin, turning to look at Loki. “Father spoke to me earlier today and said I was ready. I will be coronated as King of Asgard within a few years, while Father takes care of things on his end.”

 

Loki’s heart sank then, as the Warriors congratulated Thor. Only Sif watched him cautiously.

 

\----

Hours later, after he had finally managed to slip away from his brother, who insisted on accompanying Loki to his training lessons, the Trickster made his way to confront his father. His steps echoed through the throne room of the Allfather. Any other day, he would’ve admired the impressive room, how the stained glasses that lined the hall showed the rulers of Asgard in ages past, of their royal families, with the ones who would ascend the throne highlighted. From Borr came Odin (haloed in gold), Vili, and Ve. From Odin’s pane, the great king was surrounded by images of his sons, Tyr, Baldr, Hodur, Thor, and Loki. Beside Odin’s glory, a window had been cleared of the tinted glass, leaving a gap. In a few years time, it would be Thor’s.  _ No, _ Loki thought with a frown on his lips and a lump in his throat.  _ Not if I can help it. _ He turned his eyes away from the glass that once struck him with awe, towards the man sitting on the throne.

 

Odin sat straight in the throne with Gungnir held in his right hand, the golden rod glistening in the sunlight that poured in from above. Even with his irritation, Loki had to admit his father looked grand and the picture of a king, with bronzed armour set on his chest, the crimson mantle trailing down his back, and the golden patch that covered his eye, showing power more than weakness. At the same time, his trimmed, white hair showed knowledge with age, and wrinkles on his face wisdom. He’d thought he spotted an odd twinkle in his father’s blue eye, perhaps indicating that the Allfather had known he was coming, even though his lessons were scheduled until late. He had spotted his son through his ravens, which Loki noted as he disappeared away into the castle. He didn’t care; he wanted his father to know he was coming. That was why he abstained from using an illusion to hide his escape.

 

Loki bowed low to his father, dropping one knee close to the ground as he extended his hands, to show that he had no weapons and meant no harm. “Father.” He greeted softly but humbly, though his voice echoed in the room. “I apologize for the audience, but I wish to have words with you.”

 

“Do you, Loki?” Odin asked, and the Trickster heard the contained anger in the Aesir’s voice. He glanced up with surprise. “Because that is quite the coincidence, for I must have words with you. Something incredibly troubling has come to my attention, and I would like to hear your reasons behind it.”

 

“Father?” Loki asked with a hint of confusion in his voice. Then he saw it. A slight movement in the corner of his eyes. Flowing long black hair in a ponytail. Armour on a feminine form. He felt his stomach drop as Sif disappeared from view, a dark look set on her face.

 

“I have heard that you seek an item lost to us for ages. An item so dangerous that I let it disappear so that it may not be discovered by any who would have dark designs upon Asgard.” Odin’s voice boomed compared to his son’s soft whispers. Green eyes flickered to the wizened form sitting on the throne. “I will not indulge in pretense. Why do you seek the Tesseract, Loki?”

 

“Father, I...” He composed himself, and stood up straight, his hands coming together as he thought carefully. Knowing Sif, she had twisted their conversation from earlier when speaking to Odin, perhaps painting the Trickster in an unfriendly light. On the one hand, he could claim ignorance, tell the truth, but Sif would simply come forward and deny it. If he attempted to deny it, the same would happen. Given Odin’s current disposition, he had no doubts on who he would believe.  _ Damn that insufferable woman. _ He thought bitterly to himself.  _ All this hate just because I cut off her hair over five hundred years ago. _ “If I seek the Tessaract, then I seek only to return it to its rightful place.”  _ That seemed like a perfectly safe answer. _ He thought with a hint of a smile.  _ Even if he believes I seek it, it’s a good idea to hide it. If he does not believe I seek it, he will call me out on a lie. _

 

“And where is that, Loki?” The Allfather’s voice spoke of disbelief, and Loki felt confused. For a moment, he thought that Odin had outright called out the lie… but the way he looked at him… It was a look that said he could not trust his son. But if he had noted the truth… why did he not outright say it? “In your hands? Do you intend to master its power?”

 

“No, father!” Loki replied with a sudden burst. “I have no such intent! It belongs in Asgard’s vault, away from those who would use it, where it can do no harm.” 

 

“It is lost to all who know of it. That alone means it cannot be used for harm.” Odin stated as he slowly stood from his throne. “To seek it now would only cause ruin. You will cease your search, my son.”

 

He hesitated then, knowing that if this farce continued… Sif may only poison his father further against him. And perhaps… maybe Odin would actually believe him if he explained himself. “But… Father... I had only told Thor I sought it so that he would not inquire about what I did on Midgard.”

 

Odin’s eye turned into a dark slit, and he slowly stepped down the stairs, the end of his symbol of office echoing as it tapped in rhythm with his feet. “Really.” His voice was full of disbelief. Loki’s heart sank further. “And what instead have you been doing on Midgard?”

 

“I...” But Loki, for once, was failed by his silver tongue. He realized then that should he speak of Bruce, of Betty, his father would point out that Midgard is none of their concern. It had not reached a point where it should stand with the other Realms, and the suffering of two mortals did not justify revealing themselves. He may even refuse Loki the right to travel again there… but… “I have friends on Midgard. People that I care about, who I have been visiting.” Perhaps he could explain it right, make his father see that his friends were good people, that they  _ needed _ him there, needed his help. Maybe he co-

 

“I tire of your lies, Loki.” Odin spoke and the Lie-smith’s heart sank as father stood before of his son, and there was… disappointment in his voice. “Did you perhaps, search for the Tesseract to gain favor? That holding it would  somehow make you better than Thor? That it would make you king?” Knives stabbed at Loki’s chest, and his mouth dried.

 

“What? But father, I-” 

 

The Great King continued speaking, as though he did not hear his child. “I know you doubt your brother, but he is to be king of Asgard. He needs you to be there for him to be his brother. To trust him.” There was sadness in his eye, and shame filled the God of Lies… and yet, a thought came, unbidden though his tongue was still.

 

_ But… who will trust in me? _

 

Odin turned and made his way back to the throne, a clear dismissal of his son. He paused just before his golden throne, and glanced back. “You are forbidden from searching for the Tesseract. Heimdall will keep the Bifrost closed to you. Remain where you belong.”

 

At least Loki managed to exit with some grace, and without the Allfather seeing the pain spilling from his eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

“I know why you are here, Loki Odinson.” Heimdall’s low voice echoed through the chamber of the Bifrost as the God of Lies stepped in, his steps echoing in the circular chamber.

 

“Really?” He sneered as he looked at Heimdall, his usual mask of sarcasm up. “Then tell me, because I’m not sure myself.” Indeed, he was torn between shouting at Heimdall for his loose lips around Sif, and demanding he open the Bifrost just to… He didn’t even know? Go directly against Odin and prove him wrong? Escape to the mortal realm and cause more mischief? Maybe he was just looking for something to vent on, and Heimdall was far enough from the castle that he didn’t risk offending anyone important. Thankfully, Heimdall spoke up before he had collected his thoughts.

 

“You wish to check up on your mortal companions.” Heimdall stated, and that was enough to make Loki pause. The all-seeing watcher shifted his head slightly, as Loki came to stand beside him. 

 

He didn’t agree or disagree immediately. He just found himself speaking softly. “...How are they?”

 

“Safe. He has been moving throughout Midgard. He has not been caught.” The tension in Loki’s chest uncoiled. “She has stayed where she always has, returning to her previous life.”

 

They stood in silence then, the Watcher and the Prince, as both just watched the endless void, the stars twinkling before them. Loki could see nothing of them but the lights, even though he knew that countless lives were out there… Countless innocents that would depend on Asgard… on his brother in time. Those thoughts formed a lump in his throat, and he found himself speaking before he could dwell on them further. “...Why have you not mentioned my trips to Odin? Doesn’t he wish to keep me in my cage?”

 

“You have done no damages, no wrongs. The Allfather needs not know about every traveller in the Nine Realms. I had only told the Warriors for their inquiries.”

 

Loki said nothing for a few moments, wondering if he should’ve told the truth to his brother about his friends. If it were Thor, surely he would help Bruce escape Thaddeus, Mjolnir with Volstagg’s axe. Sif would do anything to ensure the safety of a maiden, Fandral could spot oncoming danger a mile away and Hogun… well the conversation he had this morning with them showed he thought more than he let on, even if his conclusion had been false.

 

And yet, knowing them, they could not act discreetly, not under Thor’s guidance. Bruce would’ve been in far more danger, with Thor outright challenging the US military. Volstagg knows not the meaning of the word discretion. Sif would perhaps done something to outright spite Loki perhaps, given her behaviour earlier. Fandral perhaps would blow their cover simply by speaking to some woman in a bar and saying ‘have you ever been with a sex god before?’ (and yes, he has used that line before, to the dismay of Loki’s sanity.) 

 

They would not have been able to handle it all. Under disguise, the Trickster had visited points where war had touched the mortal realm, read about the weapons produced by Stark Industries. Eight individuals, even if only two were mortal, was no match for an entire nation, or perhaps the entire planet should they decide the Asgardians were there to attack. No, he could not risk it. “...Tell them not anymore of my travels, Heimdall. They do not need to know. They have a reason, they need not know the truth.” The words were bitter in his mouth, but it was better this way. He had to protect Bruce and Betty, even if it meant that Odin and Thor were poisoned against him. He was the only one who could.

 

“I speak only as my vows to the King of Asgard bid me to.” And yet, there was an odd glimmer in the watcher’s eye as he spoke. Then again… it was not as if Odin cared much about the humans of Midgard; he’d not visited the realm since the war against Jotunheim. What would he know about Loki’s friendships, and whether or not he ought to spread word of it.

 

But Loki still needed to do one thing. “And if I should head to Midgard, would you stop me? Tell Father about it?” He challenged lowly. “The Allfather has forbidden me from going, has he not?”

 

“He forbids a search for the Tesseract, and he stated you must be where you belong. All else is permitted.” Heimdall’s eyes swept the heavens once more. “Whether that is Asgard or Earth… The only one who knows that is you.”

 

“The Bifrost is closed to me.” He pointed out with a hint of irritation.

 

“And you know more ways than the Bifrost. It is the only path closed to you.” Heimdall’s lips quirked up slightly with his knowledge. 

 

Were Loki younger, he would’ve been surprised at the realization he’d been noticed. Instead he was quiet for a long while as he digested these words. Heimdall knew that the Trickster had been going to Midgard for years. He had no doubt watched him for any trouble he might cause. He had to have seen how he acted around Betty and Bruce. How Loki treated them as… friends. Companions as great as any in Asgard. How, with little dignity or presence of self, he had acted in their defense for more than a month. How the great Deceiver used his gifts to defend two lowly mortals? “...Why?” He found himself asking, a crack in his voice and mask of anger. “Why are you doing this?”

 

The Watcher did something then, that he, nor anyone in Asgard, had not done in a long, long time. He silently reached out to Loki, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Because you need it.” Heimdall spoke, his voice soft and full of concern.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, there is a bit of sporadic time-skipping, given that Hulk and Thor takes place in 2010, and we’re all the way back in 2006. The next few chapters will be very long and disjointed, so I apologize for it in advance, but there will be a bit of fun stuff and plot stuffs here.

**JUNE, 2006**

**Online**

 

Welcome to EncryptNet, now calling Mr. Green.

  1. GREEN: Luke! I haven’t heard from you in over a month!
  2. GREEN: What happened? The last time we talked you just disappeared.
  3. GREEN: Is everything okay?



TRICKSTER: Yes, everything is perfectly fine. I apologize for how I acted before. Our dear friend Thaddeus caught up to me and wanted to ask me some questions. Even gave me incentive in the form of a pistol to the head.

  1. GREEN: Really? Shit. Are you okay? Is that why you vanished?



TRICKSTER: Sort of. I sent him on a wild chase to Mexico when he cornered me, then made a run for it back home. Had to lay low for a bit. I’m guessing that, judging by the newspaper I found when I came out of hiding, he took the bait.

  1. GREEN: You did that for me? Even when he was trying to shoot you?
  2. GREEN: I
  3. GREEN Wow, Luke.
  4. GREEN: I’m really sorry for getting you involved in this. Really, I am.



TRICKSTER: You don’t need to apologize, Bruce. I wanted to get involved, remember?

  1. GREEN: Yeah, but you’re on the run now too, right?



TRICKSTER: I suppose. But that’s hardly a big deal to me. Thaddeus reminds me a bit of my brother, what with his brawn and lack of brain, and I’ve been evading him for a very long time now.

TRICKSTER: But I suppose this puts me at an advantage. If you want, I can meet up with you wherever you are, and we can watch each other’s backs.

  1. GREEN: NO.
  2. GREEN: I mean, no. Sorry, Luke, but I can’t.



TRICKSTER: What? Can’t stand my pretty face?

  1. GREEN: No, it’s not that I just
  2. GREEN: God I’m sorry Luke I didn’t mean that I
  3. GREEN: I had another incident. Like the one back home.



TRICKSTER: Oh… You mean the one that started all this. Event Zero you could say.

  1. GREEN: Yeah. That. I think I ran into some locals or something. Thank god I didn’t attack them but…
  2. GREEN: It’s not safe, Luke.
  3. GREEN: I already hurt Betty before. I can’t hurt you. I wouldn’t be able to handle that. Not after everything that’s happened.



TRICKSTER: Bruce. I don’t think it’s possible for you to hurt me. Even if you were in that monster form of yours. Which you still have to explain.

TRICKSTER: Where are you right now? I’ll help you escape.

TRICKSTER: And then we can talk. Face to face.

  1. GREEN: No, Luke.
  2. GREEN: Please. I just can’t
  3. GREEN: Even if you say I won’t, I can’t handle the thought of hurting you. I don’t want to hurt you.
  4. GREEN: Please.



TRICKSTER: …

TRICKSTER: Okay.

TRICKSTER: I’ll let go of it for now.

TRICKSTER: But don’t think this means I’m not going to stop looking out for you.

TRICKSTER: You’re going to have to try harder than that to make me do that.

  1. GREEN: Thank you. For everything, Luke.
  2. GREEN: Don’t worry about me, I still have those fake IDs you gave me. I’ll be able to keep moving for a while.



TRICKSTER: If you say so, but if you ever need anything, let me know, alright? I’ll do the best I can.

  1. GREEN: I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.
  2. GREEN: So, how are things on your end?



TRICKSTER: Pardon?

  1. GREEN: Well, you said you went back home to your family. And we both know how you feel about them.



TRICKSTER: Things are fine. Perfectly fine. Nothing is out of the ordinary on that front, so don’t worry about me.

  1. GREEN: Liar. You only get repetitive like that when you’re bullshitting me.



TRICKSTER: Shut up.You can’t tell it’s a lie. There’s no way it’s easy to tell when I’m lying.

  1. GREEN: Aaand you prove the lie by saying it is one.



TRICKSTER: Stop over analyzing what I type, thanks.

  1. GREEN: Seriously, Luke, what’s wrong?



TRICKSTER: Nothing. My father is being how he is, and my brother’s friends are being how they are. The same as usual.

  1. GREEN: You had to stay there for what? A month?



TRICKSTER: Yeah... Technically, father had forbid me from leaving, but I was… well, I didn’t care to stay for much longer.

  1. GREEN: He didn’t let you go? Why? What’s wrong?



TRICKSTER: It has nothing to do with you being on the run. It’s nothing you need to worry about.

  1. GREEN: Well, maybe I don’t need to, but I want to.
  2. GREEN: I mean, you’ve helped me get this far, it’s the least I can do if I can help you, even if it’s just listening to you.



TRICKSTER: Look, it’s nothing. I just lied to one of my brother’s friends about something, and he chose to believe her over anything I had to say. Basically, he expects me to be a power-hungry asshole who hates his brother and his inevitable ascension to the throne.

TRICKSTER: Metaphorically, of course.

  1. GREEN: Wow, really? What an asshole. :/



TRICKSTER: Yeah, though I’m guessing that she had more to do with it than his own ideas. Hopefully. Anyways, he assumed the worst for whatever I lied about doing, so he told me to stop it, and grounded me for good measure.

  1. GREEN: Do you? Hate your brother that is.



TRICKSTER: Of course not. I don’t hate him; quite the contrary in fact. But I don’t think he’s ready to lead the company. He’s too impulsive, naive, and short-tempered, but he’s not a bad person.

TRICKSTER: I just think he needs to grow up. Which is somewhat funny considering he’s older than me.

  1. GREEN: Well, from what you’ve told me about him, I think you have valid concerns.



TRICKSTER: Of course I do. I know him better than anyone else, especially his stupid friends and our parents. Everyone puts him on a pedestal and ignore everything that’s wrong with him, and any complaint on my part is just me being jealous of him.

TRICKSTER: No one bothers listening to a word I say, so I don’t bother telling it to anyone. I mean, no offence, Bruce but for all my complaints to you, I doubt you can do a damn thing about it.

  1. GREEN: Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? I’ll listen to you whenever I can, and if I can help, I will.



TRICKSTER: An empty promise, considering your situation.

  1. GREEN: Hey, you never know. Maybe I’ll get the chance to talk to your family.
  2. GREEN: Look, just think about it, alright? I’ll listen to you whenever you need to vent.



TRICKSTER: Fine… Thanks, I guess.

TRICKSTER: I need to go. Talk to you some other time.

  1. GREEN: Alright… Talk to you again, Luke.



Trickster has disconnected the call

Thank you for using EncryptNet! As always, we are 100% confidential and 100% untrackable.

 

\----

**DECEMBER, 2006**

**Jotunheim**

 

Snow drifted lazily down from the darkened sky, chilling the already frozen world. At least there was no harsh blizzard today, though they had been more frequent as the centuries wore on. Jotunheim had once been a beautiful world, with never-melting crystalline buildings that gleamed in rays of the endless-twilight sun, with many joyous peoples and tribes living peacefully, if not happily. Before, the beacon of winter beauty had only one rival in Unseelie Court. 

 

Now was little more than a frozen wasteland, inhabited by tribes of savages barely held together by the Jotun King. The once brilliant cities of Jotunheim, as large as it was, now served only as decaying monuments of a greater era that marked the passage of time since their great fall. Many had fallen during the war against Asgard, but greater numbers disappeared in the aftermath of the infighting that the end of the war brought. King Laufey had only managed to calm the tribes in the last hundred years by directing the anger back to the ones who caused their ruin...

 

Her breath was as cold as her surroundings, as her crimson eyes looked mournfully at the edge of the realm. Once, a great city had stood even on this outer rim where the snow drifted meekly off into the empty void, where they had freely traded with the other realms. Now, there was little but a crumbling ruin with only a small band of jotun made their homes in the husks that still remained, scrounging whatever pathetic existence they could out of the unfeeling wasteland. Most that had seen her respectfully kept their distance from her, despite the fact that she was miniscule compared to them. Perhaps they feared her powerful and full grown children that she had been accompanied by, or her countenance was recognized by their now frost-slowed minds. It mattered not to her; if anyone interrupted the idle musings that went in her mind, they would suffer.

 

The decline of this beautiful land was, in-part, due to the king who allowed his rage to cloud his ruling; had Laufey been wise, he would've focused not on the end of the war, but ensuring the safety of his people in its end. Instead, he allowed the infighting to continue for centuries as he lamented what was, in his mind, the greatest cause of their woes: the loss of two great treasures of Jotunheim. One, the cornerstone of their civilization, had been secreted away by the thief, but the other, a beacon for their people's future… given to the underworld. Her heart mourned the eldest that should have been by Laufey’s side, waiting to take over from his hateful father as sure as the people of Asgard waited their Prince's ascension. True, the lost eldest was the runt, especially compared to the King's current line and how large they were as babes, but she could swear she had felt the telling wisps of magic in his tiny form when she last held him. She had imagined him growing to learn how to use his gift well, and perhaps he would’ve helped mitigate the damage done by the loss of the other treasure… And thus, anger entered her heart at the thought of the Casket of Ancient Winters. One of their greatest weapons, the Casket would’ve brought an endless winter to Midgard, allowing them to make it their home. It also once sat in the heart of Jotunheim, powering their great nation with the strength of a thousand rageful winters, giving hope and inspiring the people. Now, it sat in the thief’s vault, no doubt dusty and unused, simply a trophy and a cruel relic of their fall. Hatred filled her veins, as it did for all of the Jotun, demanding the blood of Odin be spilt.

 

“Mother,” someone spoke softly at her side, and she cast her crimson glare towards the source, fully intent on casting the one who interrupted her into the void. Crimson eyes softened, however at the sight of her second-born, who attempted to keep the bored look of his face; evidently he had grown tired of simply standing around. “We must head back. Father will be mad if we are gone too long.”

 

“Of course, my dear Helblindi.” She smiled fondly at the current crown prince of Jotunheim, pushing the thoughts of his dead brother out of her mind. “I suppose he has been given enough time to stew in his poor choices. Go find your brother, and we shall return home.” Her son nodded, and went off, calling out for Byleister and leaving her alone to continue her thoughts.

 

At least, that was the intent. Instead, once her son was out of view and earshot, three fools made their way to the minute maiden, whispering among themselves. One wanted meat, one wanted flesh, and one wanted ransom. She cast a calm look to all three of them, as though idly daring them to move.

 

They did, charging her all at once from different directions. A chilled sigh passed through her lips as she effortlessly dodged the hulking masses, weaving past their attacks as she brought a hand up, calling forth what water particles remained in the air and the natural gift of all Jotun. Snow, water, and ice came together in her palm, forming a wicked and jagged polearm that was longer than she was tall. She swung the weapon, the serrated blade gouging deep into one of the fool’s arms, and it shrieked in pain and agony as she forced him down into the path of one of his fellows, the two crashing and falling into the snow. The third swore furiously at her, but she ignored him as she savagely ripped the spear out of the fallen’s arm, before launching it at the one still standing. It sunk into his eye, and he fell, moving no more.

 

Two more blades were conjured by the woman, both held in a single hand, and she moved forward as the two she had forced down started to stand. She caught the slowest one and fiercely stabbed his eyes, cheeks, throat, every bit of soft flesh within reach. The one remaining let out a terrified gasp, watching as the bloodlust played out on her face. Thick crimson blood painted the snow, and only when the face was a mutilated mess did she drop the second, her eyes turning to the last. “Dare you attack me?” She challenged darkly.

 

The fool grew wise. He lowered himself to the ground and murmured softly, fear laced among the reverence. “No, my lady Farbauti. Please, forgive me for my trespass.”

 

She smiled softly, placing a hand on the fool’s cheek. He'd glanced up, hoping that she had shown clemency to him. Instead, the Queen's wicked sharp blade dragged a crimson line across his neck and she cut his throat out without a second thought. As he fell to the ground, his blood polluting the pristine white snow below, her two children came into view.

 

“Mother!” Sweet Byleister called out, recognizing the conflict for what it was. He ran over and wrapped his arms tightly around her, as if to protect his mother from the dead she had already dealt with. “I am so sorry for leaving you alone.”

 

“My child,” she greeted fondly as she raised a bloodied hand to his cheek, though she wore a stern, worried frown, “you know not to wander the rim. We do not wish you to fall off Jotunheim.”

 

“But mother,” he protested as his brother came to their side, his oddly-tinted eyes watching their surroundings for more fools who dared to harm the Queen of the Frost Giants, “you would not believe what I found in a cave! I had been tossing rocks through it, and they disappeared!” Helblindi snorted, as though mocking his brother for his simple thoughts.  _ Surely a rock would disappear from sight if you toss it into the dark. _ His expression seemed to say, but Byleister did not see it.

 

A curious look came onto Farbauti’s face as she beheld her youngest son while ignoring the disbelief of the second-born. “Tell me about it on the way back.” She suggested. “But for now, we must return to your father.”

 

Byleister smiled brightly and nodded, reaching out to take his mother’s hand as he let his arms down. Helblindi reached out to take her other, giving it a comforting squeeze, and the three walked back to Laufey's castle. Byleister spoke with excitement, as Farbauti's curiosity became fascination.

 

And a dark thought entered the Queen of Jotenheim's mind.

 

\------

**APRIL, 2007**

**CULVER UNIVERSITY**

**VIRGINIA, USA**

 

Elizabeth Ross let out a soft, tired sigh as she looked around the large hall. Though over two hundred students sat in front of her, not a single one making any noise but the scratches of their pencils and the occasional cough, all their attention focussed on the test papers in front of them as they scribbled frantically, trying to finish the examinations within the allocated time. Not that any of them really needed to rush, given that there was over an hour and a half left in the test, and they would not even be allowed to leave for another fifteen minutes (not that most students would even be ready by then; this course required a lot of work, after all). She was one of six professors who were watching over this exam, and most of the others were slowly patrolling down the rows, watching their students carefully to try and spot any attempts at cheating. 

 

Her eyes shifted to glance at the large clock that had been set up at the front of the room, which slowly ticked minutes into the past, waiting until the damn test was over so that she could… stay at home and mope. It has been over a year since everything happened, since Bruce’s escape and Luke’s disappearance, then when she broke off ties with her father and refused to speak to him. A lump still formed in her throat at that thought, and absently, she placed a hand over her mother’s necklace to try and dispel the troubled thoughts that crept into her mind. She tried to forget that she spent Valentine’s Day alone, without Bruce there to surprise her with one of his little gifts and a goofy smile and only with her worries, pondering how he was doing and whether or not he was safe. She tried not to think about how she had set up a prank in the empty apartment, her thumb hovering over the call button before she remembered Luke’s absence. She tried not to remember putting away the small diamond ring that Bruce bought her, how she got a pang in her chest every time she walked past a photo of him either at home or in the university, how there wasn’t even Luke and his dry quips to cheer her up.

 

So absorbed in trying not to remember was she that Betty didn’t notice the approach of one of her students, carrying a test paper in his hand, until he softly cleared his throat. She jumped slightly in surprise and glanced up at the clock again to see if he was too early. She’d spent over half an hour brooding without even noticing it. Hastily, she murmured the usual “have a good day” and an apology to the student while she took the test papers. The student with a hoodie and a small smile on his face merely nodded and left silently. Betty made to put the test away when she noticed that a tiny extra scrap of paper was there, one with her name on it.

 

She felt confused as she picked up the scrap, turning it over to study it for a moment. Sometimes, her students would leave her a thank you for teaching note, but this young man had left… left...

 

Her heart jumped in her chest, and she took a glance at the door, watching just as the hood came off the brunette head and mischievous green eyes twinkled as the door silently closed. Her hand clenched the paper tightly and she stuffed it in her pocket, sorely tempted to chase after the ‘student.’ But she couldn’t. She still had an exam to observe. 

 

She tried not to focus on the note she had read, tried not to think on the meaning, but a smile had formed on her lips as her hand unconsciously rested over the scrap, protecting it as though its destruction would kill her joy. If the other teachers will ask why a student handed in a blank test, she’ll deny knowledge because any chance of losing this chance would have no doubt crushed her.

 

_ Brussels Airport, Belgium. August 26. BYO ticket. Will be there all day.  -Mischief _


	10. Chapter 10

**JUNE 2007**

**Jotenheim**

 

Ever since her son first mentioned it, Farbauti had devoted a great deal of time to discovering the location of that cave while hiding its existence from Laufey. Helblindi, though agreeing to assist his mother, did not approve as he believed that passageway into another realm would definitely be of great service to the King and thus the knowledge should be passed to him, but Farbauti knew her husband well. She knew that should she had allowed the information to pass to him, Laufey would have sent a poorly prepared army to try and seize whatever realm lay beyond it, breaking the shaky truce that existed between their people and Asgard. Odin could use that as an excuse for war, and what remained of the Jotun would have been wiped out.

 

No, an attack on any realm would have to be well planned and quiet, and as powerful as her husband was, he could do neither of those things.

 

Since its existence was only known by three, only three could search near that frozen waste of a city, where she had to deal with a lack of supplies as well as imbeciles who attacked all outsiders blindly. Byleister, as loyal as he was, had poor memory for the frozen wastes, and could hardly remember where it had been, only providing that the rocks he threw never returned, disappearing in a brief flash of light. Furthermore, she could only search when Laufey’s anger grew too great for them to safely remain in the Frozen Citadel, thus her search had been slowed greatly. She had to plot the great many crags and caves that lay near that city, toss rocks into each one, and mark which ones did not flash, and though her sons were of great help, Byleister had no patience for the boring work and Helblindi saw no reason to wander around with a loosely defined goal when he could practice his fighting.

 

_ Could my son have been mistaken? _ She had thought to herself as she huddled in her thick furs, a gift given to her in happier times by her husband, one frozen day as a blizzard forced her into a cave. Tonight, her husband demanded she leave the castle for a while, and her sons had remained behind.  _ Perhaps he could have imagined those flashes of light? Perhaps they were tricks of his working eyes? _ Even as doubt crept into her mind, she wanted to think that they were unlikely. After all, it was Helblindi who had been cursed with a blind eye, not Byleister. If his eyesight was failing him, then Laufey’s rage would grow, knowing he had two sons with poor sight...but aside from the cave, he spoke of nothing of false visions in his countless words. Surely if he was hallucinating, there would be more than just a few hours of bright flashes.  _ No… there has to be a way into Asgard. _

 

A snarl snapped her out of her thoughts, and her attention was brought away. She glanced up, and saw one of the animals that wandered Jotunheim at the mouth of the cave. Farbauti stood, raising a hand to her side as she conjured up a frozen polearm in preparation of defending herself, studying the beast carefully. This one was a runt, barely larger than the cave’s mouth, but the spikes on its back were no less deadly, mandibles as jagged as all of its kin, and sharp claws on each paw. It growled at her, and she sneered back. “How dare a beast like you,” she idly commented, as her lance of living ice erupted in black flames, magic borne of her anger, “bare your fangs at your queen?”

 

The beast lunged at her as Farbauti raised her weapon, sinking it upwards into the beast’s throat. The lance pinned the creature’s mouth shut, but its momentum knocked her clear off her feet and back. She heard its roar of pain as the world around her flashed brightly before her senses momentarily blanked. She could not smell the cold winter air, feel the chill of the blizzard, or hear the beast nor Jotunheim’s rage.

 

Then, as suddenly as her senses blanked, they returned, but full of new stimuli. She heard the bustle of countless people, felt the sweltering heat of the midday sun and all its warmth. She could smell the faint scent of stale alcohol wafting up, along with all sorts of food from around. Beneath her feet were countless little stones, and when her eyes opened, she saw a bright blue sky and golden spires as far as the eye could see.

 

Instantly, her hand went over her eyes to prevent the gleam refracting off the metal structures from stabbing at the crimson orbs. She was sorely tempted to shuck off her furs to prevent from overheating, but she simply reveal herself as a Jotun, for she knew where she was.

 

_ Asgard! _ She thought in her awe, even as she lowered her hood down her face to allow her to look at the copper and golden beauty before her. Farbauti found herself standing on a tall structure, old and unused judging by all the rocks laying around. She picked one up and recognized Jotenheim quartz.  _ Byleister’s rocks. He had not been imagining things! _ A soft laugh passed thorugh her lips, as she looked down at the city below. Nearby, barely half an hour’s walk, was the Golden Castle from which Odin no doubt reigned. Below she could see bustling markets, a flash of crimson wandering below. That caught her eyes, and she quickly crouched down, looking carefully. Surely she was not so lucky as to catch a glimpse of her most hated enemy!

 

She was not, to her great disappointment. The man who wore the crimson cape had golden hair and two working eyes. However, even she could recognize Odin in his son’s features, and she felt a dark sense of glee at the realization. She watched Thor walk, surrounded by five others. A woman who walked close to him, not of her concern. The Warriors Three, who she recognized, and had believed to flit into Jotunheim at times on adventures with or without the Odinson… That left the dark haired one with fair skin, smaller than the other men and yet…

 

Farbauti found herself staring at the dark haired one for a few moments, as though he were familiar. Not that such was possible; she had never even seen the youngest Odinson or even heard his name. It seemed that he was wiser than his sibling, avoiding Jotunheim where his line was so hated. Still… his features looked very familiar, and quite different from his sibling. The dark hair, the thin chin…

 

Green eyes that suddenly flickered up. She found herself backing away from the edge of the building, tripping back into the gateway in another flash of light. Her hand was placed on her thumping heart, wondering if she had been caught. Surely… no. She was sure she had moved quicker than that young Asgardian’s eyes. She had not been detected, and a sigh passed through her lips as she relaxed.

 

The chill of Jotunheim was biting after those minutes in Asgard. Her eyes had to get used to the darkness once more, but once they did, a small grin started to form on her lips. The passage was not to any old realm, but to Asgard itself. Asgard, with its watcher of the Bifrost, could not or simply did not notice her, given that she had been there for a few minutes and no guards showed up to arrest her. No one seemed to have noticed her at all.

 

Then again, perhaps it was simply because she was just one individual in a sea of hundreds. No doubt that if she had arrived with more, the Watcher of Asgard would have noted her presence. It would’ve been taken as an attack on Asgard by Jotunheim… she was lucky that she had been searching alone today. No, she could not risk it again.

 

_ Then again,  _  she thought as she leaned against the slain beast, no murder weapon in sight,  _ if we could hide a group from the Watcher’s eyes… perhaps that could be a way to attack Asgard. _ But then, for what purpose? To assassinate the king? No, it would only serve to aggravate Asgard, worsen their situation. But then what else could she turn her eyes on? His sons? Same thing… The answer came to her suddenly, as the blizzard outside blew stronger.  _ Of course… Our treasure was stolen by a thief. It is only fitting if we take it back. _

 

Of course, stealing from the Allfather of Asgard would be no easy task, especially she intends to take from his vault. She would have to find a way to hide their approach, to find discrete soldiers who would act without reporting to the king: should he find out and they fail, no doubt his rage in having a brief hope snatched away would be limitless. A time to strike would also be ideal; she could not simply pull off a heist such as this on any old day, it would have to be when Asgard and its king were distracted. In short... she would need to do a lot of planning for this.

 

Nevertheless, Farbauti pulled her furs about her carefully and her thin lips curled into a smile. She made a vow that chilly day to take the Casket of Ancient Winters back, no matter what. Then, when it was in their possession, perhaps Jotenheim may rebuild.

 

-0-

 

Loki frowned slightly as he stared up at the old belltower, sure for a moment that he had seen something up there; a strange, fur-covered figure then a brief flash of light, barely noticeable in the midday sun. He was sure he felt the presence of someone watching them... though admittedly, perhaps that was simply because he was getting more paranoid of late. Juggling his work to keep Bruce hidden from the US military, keeping Betty from getting too involved and yet too removed, and both of them hidden from Asgard, and more importantly Odin, has made him feel haggard of late. Perhaps that was why Thor had insisted that he join him and his friends in the midday meal and the merrymaking involved with it.

 

Of course, he wasn’t paying attention to the conversations on the way there. His mind was already making careful plans for the event in August that he had gone out of his way to invite Betty to, and he had been in the middle of thinking on how to get surveillance off Bruce when he felt that presence above. It was… strange, that brief instance of feeling like someone watching someone else do the disappearing for once, but not entirely unusual for the Sky-Walker. He knew that there were pathways to other realms scattered all throughout Asgard, and not all of them in places that make sense, so  it was a simple matter of finding them. Still, he had not been aware of one in the Bell tower, and he had been sorely tempted to simply disregard it as just a curious traveller.

 

Then again… he could tell that whoever it was wore thick furs, meant for a colder climate, he’d recognized the flash of a pathway being used anywhere, and he certainly felt hate in those eyes that looked down at them… Was that person perhaps an enemy of Thor? Of Asgard? He would’ve been inclined to say that it might have even been a Jotun, given the brief flash of bright blue he saw in the midday sun… but the form was far too small, wouldn’t need furs if it were from Jotunheim and he was certain that there was no Frost Giants with thick heads of hair on their head. But humans have no reason to hate Thor, as they have never come across them, and there were few other realms that saw chilly climates that required furs...

 

He absently shook his head. His mind was going in circles now, and ultimately, it mattered not. He had more important matters to think of, and his brother (the soon-to-be  _ king _ , he recalled with a hint of bitterness) didn’t need him to fret over him like a worried hen. Thor could certainly take care of himself, and even if he couldn’t, the Warriors never left him alone.

 

“Brother, Where are you going?” Speak of the Devil, Thor had apparently noted his distraction. Loki looked up and then noted that in his thoughts, he had nearly walked past the tavern they intended to lunch in. “We are here already. You need not go further.”

 

“Ah, yes. Of course.” Loki replied thinly, attempting to ignore the smirks that Sif and Fandral shared. “My apologies, My mind was elsewhere.” 

 

Thor looked at him curiously, his mouth beginning to form a question, but Volstagg, impatient for sustenance, pushed the Thunder God into the tavern to the cheers of those inside. Sif and Fandral made to follow, causing Loki to sigh and start walking in as well.

 

Hogun reached out and grabbed his elbow, pulling his attention away and towards the stoic man. “Did you feel it?” He asked quietly, glancing pointedly at the tower that they had passed.

 

Loki blinked in surprise, turning his gaze back to the belltower. He needn’t ask the quiet man what he meant, he simply nodded in reply.

 

“Was it a threat?” Hogun frowned, and the God of Mischief shrugged.

 

“If it was, it would have attacked.” He replied. “As it stands, I imagine it was simply a lost traveler.” The soft-spoken soldier stared at him, then at the tower again, causing him to sigh and take another look.

 

“There is no way for a traveler to go up there; the building has been abandoned.” Hogun pointed out.

 

Loki was tempted to explain what he thought, but… well he didn’t exactly have a good reason to explain to the Warrior the existence of the pathways; it would hardly be beneficial for his later escapades, especially if Sif were to find out. “Then perhaps it was an admirer,” he shrugged, “intent on getting a glance at the future King of Asgard, and jealous over Sif. We have had a few of them.” That wasn’t false, after all. Ever since Odin had announced Thor’s future coronation, there had been an influx of admirers for his idiot brother and hatred for Sif. Odin had been quite proud that his successor was so popular...then again, Odin was proud of Thor no matter what he did. He’d probably be proud of Thor if he started a damned war over his pride.

 

“Perhaps...” Hogun murmured softly, thinking on it, though he had yet to let go of Loki’s elbow. The Trickster was about to ask if there was anything else, when the quiet warrior spoke up again. “Are you still searching for the Tesseract?”

 

“Odin has forbidden it.” The green-eyed Asgardian replied with a shrug. His heart still hurt over the matter as it only reminded him Odin’s perception of him… which certainly hadn’t changed. He continued speaking to keep the pain away. “So I’ve lost interest.” Hogun watched him carefully, but nevertheless let him go. Clearly the soft-spoken man had more to say, but perhaps he deemed it less important than keeping Thor waiting. Loki was ready to move on and follow his brother into the tavern.

 

“What do you think of Thor’s succession?” Hogun suddenly spoke up, and the question was so unexpected that Loki paused in his steps. He glanced back at the quiet warrior, who was still watching him carefully.

 

“Excuse me?” The trickster chuckled in surprise, but Hogun didn’t repeat himself; they both knew that Loki heard what he said. “Well… I don’t like it.” He replied. The warrior’s eyebrow raised, and it was clear he expected Loki to elaborate, rather than simply judge him for his opinion. _ Well, that’s new. _ “I don’t think he’s ready. He’s brash, compulsive, impatient, completely gullible... I've lost count of how many times my tricks have fooled him. He unfocused on important issues that plague the realms, and he seems to think that being a king simply means drinking himself stupid every night and soaking in the adoration of all around him.” The Trickster paused, a deep frown set on his face. 

 

Hogun still watched him, but nevertheless nodded…. though the Lie-smith couldn’t tell if that was out of agreement or acceptance of his answer. Loki exhaled slowly out of his nose, his frown only growing. “That does not mean I do not love my brother.” He insisted, a bit of a defensive frown on his face, “I believe that he has the potential be a great king, a worthy successor to our Father in due time… perhaps about a hundred years or so if he's lucky. Father has raised him to be a great warrior, and tried to teach him how to be a great king. Whether or not he actually took those lessons into consideration is beyond me, however, given that he seems to only enjoy lessons that involve bashing things with Mjolnir. If he gets rid of those flaws I've discussed, then I will have no complaints. If not, I shall continue disliking the idea.”

 

"Do you think you would be a better king?" The Silent Vanir inquired, and for a moment, distrust appeared on Loki's face. But Hogun only raised a single brow, not mirroring the mistrust in the Asgardian's.

 

"A while ago, I would have thought so. I am smarter, more perceptive, than Thor, so I can see the issues plaguing the realms better, I've walked realms for more reasons than adventure, so I know how other realms see ours... but I do not appeal to the people. To Asgard, I am Thor's younger brother who enjoys magic and tricks. To other realms... Well, I highly doubt they know I exist. There was a bitter taste in his mouth, and Hogun watched him carefully. Nevertheless, he continued.  "Thor is a people person. I'm not."

 

There was a pause at Loki’s airy admission, before he simply shrugged. “Not that I particularly mind anymore. I’ve other issues than the future of the Nine Realms to worry about. It’s all clearly in…better hands than mine. Many decisions are already made, so there’s no point in me harping on upon them. My objections will not be heard, so why should I care?” He made to continue walking in, but this time, he stopped himself with a bit of a frown. His eyes shifted to the Grim Warrior, who seemed to be silently contemplating his words “...You would consider yourself his friend, would you not?” Loki’s eyes shifted back in time to see Hogun nod quietly. “Then watch over him. If he proves me wrong, then, as I said, I shall withdraw my complaints, if not… Well, at least one of his friends should keep an eye on him.”

 

The silent warrior walked over and looked him in the eye. “Is that not why you come along, Loki?” He asked, but did not wait for an answer as he simply went inside.

 

Loki let out a sigh, and watched Hogun depart, a bitter taste in his mouth that killed his appetite. “I suppose that is all I am good for here.” He found himself spitting out before departing. He had more important things to do than watch over his fool of a brother.  Had he stopped to think about Hogun’s words, perhaps he would’ve seen what the man had been getting at. Instead, he forced himself to think of Banner and the coming event in August. He still had many preparations to go through and little time to ready himself. Heimdall was already aware that he was departing on that day, so he certainly would be ready to keep his family in the dark if need be. 

 

Inside the tavern, Thor wondered absently where his brother went, then one of the tavern wenches with a very nice bosom passed him a flagon of their finest, and he forgot in an instant. Loki could take care of himself, after all.

 

\---

 

**AUGUST 26, 2007,**

**BRUSSELS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT**

**BRUSSELS, BELGIUM**

 

Betty felt  _ lost _ and a bit like a fool if she were honest with herself. A part of her mind wondered if the note Luke left behind was some sort of prank he wanted to play on her. After spending almost eight hours stuck between two large and odorous passengers on a cramped and noisy plane, she’d been standing here in the receiving area for almost two hours.   _ If this is his idea of a joke… _ She thought bitterly to herself as she glared down at her luggage, trying not to ignore the sympathetic glances of some of the airport staff,  _ then I swear I’m going to make him really regret this one. _

 

Her eyes caught something, a black haired man with pale skin. But he was talking to two others in a foreign language, and she disregarded him… until she did a double take upon recognizing those familiar green eyes. Luke’s hair had changed from his usual comb back to a part to the left and hanging free, his clothes completely casual in a way she had never seen before, in jeans, a t-shirt, and a loose hoodie. With him was an older man, more formally dressed in a suit with a scarf over his shoulders, and a young woman whose clothes were in between her companions, but with confusion written on her face.. Luke’s eyes shifted from his companion, landing on Betty. He gave her a smile and lead his group over. “Betty.” He greeted warmly, holding his hand out. “I’m glad you could make-”  
  
His greeting was cut short, because Betty’s fist hit him hard in the gut. He let out a small grunt, more out of surprise than anything, but then she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders. All Luke could do was hug her back. “Where the hell have you been, Luke?” She asked softly, trying to hold back tears.  “It’s been over a year since you and Bruce disappeared…”  
  
“I’m sorry, Betty. I’ll explain all I can, but not here. Too many ears.” Luke murmured, before he stepped out of her hug, his arms falling to the side. He turned to his companions and smiled.   
  
“Are you alright, Luke?” The older man inquired, though there was bemusement written on his face.  
  
“Yes, I am quite alright, Dr. Selvig. Just reuniting with my friend, Elizabeth Ross.” Luke gestured to Betty, looking over to his friend. “Betty, this is Dr. Erik Selvig and his assistant Jane Foster. Their main field of study is astrophysics.” The names clicked in Betty’s mind, just as recognition appeared in the other two’s.  
  
“Elizabeth!” Erik exclaimed, looking at her with surprised eyes, but nevertheless wrapping her hands in his own fondly. “I almost didn’t recognize you, it’s been too long. How are things in the biochemistry department? Still competing for those research grants?”  
  
“Oh, I haven’t been… Well, I’ve been focusing more on teaching than researching lately.” Betty replied, almost sheepishly. Erik nodded sagely.  
  
“Ah… I understand, after what happened… Such a shame. You’ve met Jane before, though, right?” He gestured to Jane, who smiled and reached over to shake Betty’s hand. She accepted it with a smile of her own.  
  
“Quite a few times. I hope Erik’s finally fetching his own coffee.”

 

Jane just laughed, shaking her head. “He’d forget his own pants when he’s off on his tangents.” She looked over to Luke, curiously. “When did you meet Luke here, if I may ask?”   
  
“Oh, we- I’ve been friends with him for years now. He used to be a student at Culver, you know, studying physics.”   
  
“Really? Well, I’ve never seen him at any of my lectures.” Confusion covered Betty’s face at Erik’s comment, but Luke merely shrugged.   
  
“I transferred out after my first year, completed my undergrad and grad at VT.” He replied. “Still kept in contact with my friends at Culver though. Now, I believe we are almost late…?”   
  
Erik glanced at the clock and slapped a hand to his head. “Yes, you’re right, we don’t want to miss it! Come, come, I have a cab waiting.” He lead the group off, with Luke picking up Betty’s bags. Betty quickly fell into step with her friend as Jane and Erik got into a conversation about their field.   
  
“So where have you been, Luke?” Betty glanced at her friend, who merely gave another shrug.   
  
“I’ve been mostly hiding out back home.” Luke replied, though Betty gave a small frown. She could recall the conversations they used to have about Luke’s family life. The brunette, for his part, noticed her expression. “Don’t worry, my father hasn’t been giving me too much grief, and I’ve been in talks with Dr. Selvig and his associate, so that has kept the edge off.”   
  


“Edge? Did he do something again?” Betty’s frown grew, but Luke gave her a reassuring smile.   
  
“He and I had a disagreement about the usual things, but I’ve come to realize how unimportant it is right now.” They stepped out of the airport onto the street, where Erik approached one of the cabs, discussing the destination. Luke stepped away from Betty to load up the trunk, leaving the girls alone momentarily. “So, Betty, you stopped your research?” Jane inquired, looking over to her colleague with curiosity. 

 

“Yes. After what happened last year with our research, it was decided that we should stop for a while.” Betty stated, trying to keep things as vague as possible. Jane, however, frowned.

  
“It sounded less like a bump in the road when I heard about it. If I remember right, the whole building was shut down for a year, with hardly any details left out for the staff. Which was a shame, I actually stored a few things there for a bit; we lost everything in relation to our research in the effects of dark energy on the fluctuating gravitational pull between planetary masses. Not that it bothered Selvig, of course; he didn’t do or redo the paperwork.” The grumbling tone in Jane’s voice made Betty give a small laugh, but she didn’t get a chance to reply as Luke returned, ushering the two girls into the back seat with him as Selvig settled in the passenger’s, speaking swiftly to the driver. 

 

Betty merely sat in confusion, wondering where it would end up at.   
  
\---

 

Betty was bored. Bored out of her skull. Two years ago, she would’ve been excited about attending a conference on theoretical physics, hosted by Stark Industries no less, for the benefit that it might have had on her own research in Biochemistry... but that was two years ago. Now, her tenuous grasp of the field was obsolete with the latest advancements, and her research on hiatus. Really, her interest was only mildly piqued when he had started a few minutes ago on the history of gamma burst radiation, and even that waned as the presenter’s take on it was incredibly brief.  As the presenter from Stark Industries went on, Betty merely looked over at Luke, wondering if  _ this _ was his prank for this year, to make her waste over a thousand dollars to attend a lecture she could probably have watched online after it was all done. To her surprise, her friend wasn’t paying attention either, searching the crowd below their balcony intently.    
  
She was just about to ask what he was doing when his eyes lit up, and a small smile formed on his face. Luke turned to her, and then pointed down at the crowd below. Confusion formed on her face, but her gaze nevertheless followed his finger away from the stage, towards the edge of the crowd, where a man stood without being able to take one of the many occupied seats. He was a haggard-looking man, his clothes looking unwashed for some time. But none of that mattered, for he looked well, and her eyes and heart lit up. She barely managed to keep from shouting his name out, in part due to Luke’s hand on her arm. Bruce didn’t seem to notice her, for he was listening intently to the presentation.

 

Suddenly, she felt as though she paid too little for this glimpse of her lover, safe and well. And the damn presentation couldn’t be over soon enough. For the rest of the time the speaker droned on, her eyes were fixed on Bruce, who was too deep in concentration to even look up. She wanted to ask Luke if he knew that he would be there, but her friend merely shooshed her when she opened her mouth, his own eyes focussed intently on the speaker.

 

But eventually, the speaker had to finish his words, and with the polite applause of the audience, he stepped off. As the announcer for the main event hall started to introduce the next speaker, Betty took one last look down at the floor below, just in time to see Bruce step out from the hall. She started to rise, but Luke kept his hand on her arm, shaking his head. “Luke, if I don’t-” She started, soft to not draw the attention of their companions.   
  
“Betty, he doesn’t know you’re here. If you go to him, he’ll fear the worst.” Luke replied softly, “I just thought it best that you see for your own eyes that he’s safe.”   
  
“But Luke, how can’t I go to him?” Betty asked, feeling a lump in her throat. “It’s been two years. Two long years, without any word, any information of how he was. God, Luke, I just...” A finger was pressed to her lips, and she was vaguely aware of the wetness gathering in her eyes.   
  
“He’s not better yet, Betty.” Luke explained, causing Betty to bite her lip, chest throbbing. “He’s still afraid of hurting people. If he knew you were here, that would just make him run as far away as possible. He’s terrified of hurting you again.” He settled in his seat, and took out his phone. “For now, just enjoy the conference. I’ll keep him safe, Betty. I promise.”

 

\---

 

Welcome to EncryptNet, now calling Mr. Green…

Trickster: So how’s the presentation?

Mr. Green: Just ended. Most of it was garbage, not much on what I needed to know. There were a few advances though. I’ll have to get that information somehow. 

Trickster: Well, looking at the schedule, there’s a talk dedicated to gamma radiation in an hour and a half in hall D. you could listen to that.   
Mr. Green: Tempting, but I know the guy who’s giving it. If he sees me, he’ll blow the whistle.   
Trickster: So I could attend it while you’re enjoying the free bubbly that Stark provided.

Mr. Green: Wait, you’re here? Like, right now.   
Trickster: Of course I am. 

Mr. Green: Dammit, Trickster, I thought I made you promise to stay away.

Trickster: Oh come on. You’re in a crowded building with over fifty thousand people in attendance, and that’s just counting the gormless masses who want to bask in whatever the rich and famous crap out. At least thirty of the presenters here have ties to the US government, and chances are, General Hardass himself is here to look at all the shiny weapons Stark plans to unveil. You’re taking risks as is, and someone needs to watch your back.

Trickster: Besides, what better way to pass on information than face to face?

Mr. Green: I’m not staying here for long. I was just here for that one presentation. I have to hide until my flight tomorrow.

Trickster: I know that, Greenie, I’m the one who booked it. But you’re here, right now, there’s free food and plenty of brilliant researchers around. Why not sit back, relax, bask in their glory, and let me deal with all this nonsense?

Trickster: Who knows. If Hardass is here, he might have brought you-know-whom. With a little string pulling I could maybe get a proper meeting between you two.

Mr. Green: No, Luke, don’t you dare.

Mr. Green: Don’t you even try it. Betty’s safe. She’s safe away from me.

Mr. Green: Please, just… don’t.

Trickster: Alright, alright, Bruce. Calm down, it was just a suggestion.

Trickster: She does miss you though. As much as you miss her.

Mr. Green: Luke, you haven’t involved her in this have you? 

Trickster: No, she’s been living her normal life. Hasn’t moved on from you though.

Mr. Green: Maybe she should. She has a right to someone better than me.

Trickster: Okay, now I know I have to find you, Bruce, if only to slap some sense into you. Who on Earth would be better for Betty than you? Your names both start with B, for crying out loud!

Mr. Green: Ha ha. Very funny.

Mr. Green: But don’t try to seek me out. I’m not in the convention hall anymore.

Trickster: Too late, the die has been cast. I know where you’ll be tomorrow anyways, so I’ll just have to say hi.

Mr. Green: Luke. Seriously.

Trickster: Nope. Remember when I said I’d make sure you’d get here, be able to attend without a worry? This was my one condition. It’s either you meet me sometime today or tomorrow, or you hide at my place during the holidays.

Trickster: So by all means, run off today. It just means we’ll be downing eggnog together in four months.

Mr. Green: Oh? Does that mean I can meet your elusive family finally?

Trickster: I mean my other place. Not the one in Willowdale, still haven’t been back there.

Trickster: I hope Betty managed to get my souvenirs back. I miss them.

Trickster: No, I have a nice little place in Banff, Canada. Plenty of tourists to blend in with, and nice, crowded hot springs to enjoy.

Mr. Green: Seriously? You’re on the run and you have a permanent address?

Trickster: Well, it’s obviously not under my name or anything. And I’ve been moving around a lot to make it seem like that’s just a vacation home. I make sure to get in during the dead of night so none of my neighbors find me. 

Mr. Green: You’re insane, Luke.

Trickster: Yes, yes, and you’ll be insane with me if you decide not to meet me today.

Mr. Green: ...Dammit, Luke. I can’t go back in now.

Trickster: Then I’ll see you in December.

Mr. Green: No, Luke. You won’t.

Trickster: Too late, no backsies. If you don’t show up, I’m tracking you down myself!

Trickster has disconnected the call

Thank you for using EncryptNet! As always, we are 100% confidential and 100% untrackable.


End file.
